Democratic Primaries

PoindexterOglethorpe

(28,493 posts)

26. Social Security was always intended to be one leg of a three-legged stool.

Thu Sep 12, 2019, 06:52 PM

Sep 2019

The other two legs being a pension (today a 401k or the like) and savings.

There was never a time when it was expected to cover everything in retirement. Never.

There was no COLA before 1972, so up to then SS was truly a "fixed income". Plus, I believe in the early years widowers could not collect against their deceased wife's account, even if it would have given them more than their own account.

But yeah, try to get a job with a pension. Failing that, put as much into your 401k (or its equivalent) as you possibly can. And save more money besides. The best thing about all that is that you will be living on less than your full paycheck, which ought to make retirement somewhat easier, because you didn't spend every penny in the first place.

If I were to vote in a presidential
primary today, I would vote for: Undecided

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Today's Social Security benefits are too small to give retirees financial stability [View all] bluewater Sep 2019 OP

Elizabeth Warren is so right CountAllVotes Sep 2019 #1

Thank goodness she has someone Demobrat Sep 2019 #19

So many do not have anyone CountAllVotes Sep 2019 #34

Exactly! warmfeet Sep 2019 #40

A little history DownriverDem Sep 2019 #53

Women have been penalized by this system if they stayed home to care for family.. Grasswire2 Sep 2019 #61

+1000 bluewater Sep 2019 #62

K&R!!! Millions suffer in the US! n/t RKP5637 Sep 2019 #2

Half the country is doing very well HeartlandProgressive Sep 2019 #3

Half? FiveGoodMen Sep 2019 #9

+1 ReformedGOPer Sep 2019 #37

It's very difficult gelsdorf Sep 2019 #4

Two of the last 3 COLAs were gone to rent increases before I got them... Wounded Bear Sep 2019 #11

The increase in Medicare supplemental insurance premiums.... SergeStorms Sep 2019 #21

Yup, totally burns my ass that the supplemental, which only covers 20%, costs so incredibly more dhol82 Sep 2019 #28

Retirement's rough. ChazInAz Sep 2019 #48

Ain't it the truth. Desert Dem Sep 2019 #5

Go Warren! zentrum Sep 2019 #6

Has there ever been a time someone could love on Social Security alone? The Mouth Sep 2019 #7

Depends on how much you made when working... Wounded Bear Sep 2019 #12

Damn The Mouth Sep 2019 #13

That's from decades of very bad policy that intentionally redistributed wealth upward. Kurt V. Sep 2019 #29

Hey, those jets and private islands ain't gonna pay for themselves The Mouth Sep 2019 #54

Tell us something we don't know considering there's been an SS impending crisis elocs Sep 2019 #8

Vote for Democratic candidates at all levels for a start rurallib Sep 2019 #15

I've voted for Democrats in every election & at every level for 47 years now. elocs Sep 2019 #16

I always heard that if wishes were horses Farmer-Rick Sep 2019 #32

There are many You Tube video's showing people how they live in their car on 850 per month Oppaloopa Sep 2019 #10

I know, I watch them and though some do it just for the mobility Farmer-Rick Sep 2019 #33

The GOPigs will never stop trying to cut benefits. LudwigPastorius Sep 2019 #14

We'd all love an increase snowybirdie Sep 2019 #17

"Never intended" is never a reason to stop evolving as a society. stopbush Sep 2019 #22

The three legged stool. ChiTownDenny Sep 2019 #27

And with negative interest rates on the horizon Farmer-Rick Sep 2019 #35

The problem is people lived longer TheRealNorth Sep 2019 #39

She is Spot on...................... turbinetree Sep 2019 #18

ELIMINATE the Gross Earned Income Cap...... ProudMNDemocrat Sep 2019 #20

Yep. 95% of Americans pay into SS on 100% of their income. stopbush Sep 2019 #23

The intent of social security needs to be redefined. AJT Sep 2019 #24

Not to mention the disability benefits especially for those disabled cstanleytech Sep 2019 #25

Social Security was always intended to be one leg of a three-legged stool. PoindexterOglethorpe Sep 2019 #26

And good luck with your 401k if the market crashes around the time of your retirement. dhol82 Sep 2019 #30

Yep. NT. warmfeet Sep 2019 #41

And if you retire into a rising market, you need to understand PoindexterOglethorpe Sep 2019 #49

And the intent of Workmen's Compensation was to pay Farmer-Rick Sep 2019 #43

One thing to fix is Medicare taking every penny of every raise Amimnoch Sep 2019 #31

I'm figuring Social Security should be twice what it is. LiberalFighter Sep 2019 #36

Social Security has essentially a ten year vesting. PoindexterOglethorpe Sep 2019 #50

this woman needs to be the next president.... throwthe_shoe Sep 2019 #38

I could not agree more. warmfeet Sep 2019 #42

im on ssi. when congress gave us a raise last year , this year ss goes to me you make too much AllaN01Bear Sep 2019 #44

Why do people support trump and the GOP then duforsure Sep 2019 #45

Why? Blue_true Sep 2019 #47

Like everything else that is financial. Blue_true Sep 2019 #46

I don't know about everyone else. But I'm surviving. MySideOfTown Sep 2019 #51

SSI is also too small. ColesCountyDem Sep 2019 #52

As a retiree I'm more worried about my SS getting smaller than it is now elocs Sep 2019 #55

My mom and dad only get about $5300 a month in SS madville Sep 2019 #56

5300? Wow, that's more than the 3100 my brother and his wife bring home a month cstanleytech Sep 2019 #57

Mom owned a bookkeeping business, Dad was a salesman madville Sep 2019 #70

Only? Boomer Sep 2019 #59

! CountAllVotes Sep 2019 #67

It's about what I gross in my current job madville Sep 2019 #69

Only? What sort of medical coverage do they have? SMC22307 Sep 2019 #65

Yeah madville Sep 2019 #68

$5300/mo.! CountAllVotes Sep 2019 #66

I live on $1194 a month and I'm doing fine Kaleva Sep 2019 #71

This is SOOOOO true StarzGuy Sep 2019 #58

and now McConnell plans to cut "benefits" and cut back Medicare lab testing. Grasswire2 Sep 2019 #60

Yes they are, but social security was Progressive dog Sep 2019 #63

This, along with Medicare at 55, are winning issues. SMC22307 Sep 2019 #64