How 2024’s Record Retirement Numbers Could Spark a Recession | WSJ

[@lightschunk]

I was told in two economics classes that I shouldn't expect social security so I had to save up for retirement. I still have to pay into it though...

[@thedopplereffect00]

Yup. Biggest ponzi scheme

[@J3LVN1]

Work for the gov’t. You don’t have to pay into social security and the pensions are often pretty good

[@thedopplereffect00]

@@J3LVN1 "work" for the government

[@AChungusAmongUs]

@@thedopplereffect00 Lol, getting a government job in IT was viewed as the golden goose by my college classmates. Per testimonials from a few who got those jobs, there was next to no oversight, no accountability and practically no risk of ever being fired. Basically just show up and don't make waves and you can collect a paycheck indefinitely.

[@J3LVN1]

@@thedopplereffect00 what Chungus said. Insane job security & often little to no micromanagement if you can just come in and do the bare minimum

[@cezar684]

Nobody is prepared to do anything about it because at the eleventh hour it becomes leverage for political expediency.

[@arthurh5707]

With Dems and Neocons in power, none of us will live to see retirement.

[@Independent_Voices]

How do we afford to spend so much money on Ukraine and Illegals?

[@SigFigNewton]

@@arthurh5707the Dems are the ones helping solve the problem by preventing the number of working age people from falling too much. Worst thing we could do for the American economy is halt immigration

[@SigFigNewton]

@@arthurh5707halting immigration would be terrible for the economy. (Dems are the ones helping this problem of the working age population no longer growing)

[@SigFigNewton]

halting immigration would be terrible for the economy. (Dems are the ones helping this problem of the working age population no longer growing)

[@autobotdiva9268]

people are focused on paying the now $1674 rent for a 1 bedroom when 3 years ago it was $720 a month

[@SigFigNewton]

Support policies that increase supply

[@Distress.]

@@SigFigNewton There's plenty of supply, the problem is where that supply is and who owns it.

[@jilbertb]

And someday you'll grow up and be smart enough to fix your YT name! 😂

[@notsorandumusername]

@@jilbertb This is supposed to be a smug comment? The irony of you lecturing someone on 'growing up' when you haven't done that yourself yet. 😂

[@thebookwasbetter3650]

​@@SigFigNewtonpeople have been tricked into thinking that corporations buying properties is the problem. Government limiting the supply through regulations is the problem.

[@Riggsnic_co]

I think the retirement crisis will get even worse. A lot of people can’t save because of low paying jobs, inflation, and insane rental rates. And now that home ownership is out of reach for middle class Americans, they won’t have a house to retire with either.

[@bob.weaver72]

The increasing prices have impacted my plan to retire at 62, work part-time, and save for the future. I'm concerned about whether those who navigated the 2008 financial crisis had an easier time than I am currently experiencing. The combination of stock market volatility and a decrease in income is causing anxiety about whether I'll have sufficient funds for retirement.

[@martingiavarini]

This is precisely why I like having a portfolio coach guide my day-to-day market decisions: with their extensive knowledge of going long and short at the same time, using risk for its asymmetrical upside and laying it off as a hedge against the inevitable downward turns, their skillset makes it nearly impossible for them to underperform. I've been utilizing a portfolio coach for more than two years, and I've made over $800,000

[@TheJackCain-84]

Mind if I ask you to recommend this particular coach you using their service?

[@martingiavarini]

'Carol Vivian Constable, a highly respected figure in her field. I suggest delving deeper into her credentials, as she possesses extensive experience and serves as a valuable resource for individuals seeking guidance in navigating the financial market.

[@TheJackCain-84]

She appears to be well-educated and well-read. I ran an online search on her name and came across her website; thank you for sharing.

[@Patriciabanks5]

More and more people might face a tough time in retirement. Low-paying jobs, inflation, and high rents make it hard to save. Now, middle-class Americans find it tough to own a home too, leaving them without a place to retire.

[@monicawill5]

The increasing prices have impacted my plan to retire at 62, work part-time, and save for the future. I'm concerned about whether those who navigated the 2008 financial crisis had an easier time than I am currently experiencing. The combination of stock market volatility and a decrease in income is causing anxiety about whether I'll have sufficient funds for retirement.

[@Johnlarry12]

I completely agree, which is why I think it's important to delegate decision-making responsibility to an investment coach. Underperformance is essentially unimaginable given their specialized experience and education, as well as the fact that each of their skills is focused on harnessing risk for its asymmetrical potential and controlling it as a buffer against certain unfavorable events. Working with an investment coach for over two years, I've made over $1.5 million

[@emiliabucks33]

How can I reach this person?

[@Johnlarry12]

Certainly, there are a handful of experts in the field. I've experimented with a few over the past years, but I've stuck with ‘’CAROL VIVIAN CONSTABLE” for about five years now, and her performance has been consistently impressive.She’s quite known in her field, look-her up.

[@emiliabucks33]

Thanks a lot for this suggestion. I needed this myself, I looked her up, and I have sent her an email. I hope she gets back to me soon.

[@Itsmarkyoung]

“How covid could spark a recession” oh never mind “how inflation could spark a recession” oh never mind “how record retirements could cause a recession” the media will keep us “on the brink of a recession” no matter the economic climate it seems

[@JakeSmith-jy1kx]

The WSJ really wants there to be a recession, plus it can't see beyond the perspective of Baby Boomers. Millennials are both a larger and more productive generation.

[@geofflepper3207]

I heard that if Taylor Swift retires it could spark a recession. By the way, speaking as a boomer who the heck is Taylor Swift?

[@notsorandumusername]

They want a recession, but only if Trump wins so they can blame him.

[@arevolvingdoor3836]

Yeah, its because sensationalism sells

[@brusso456]

the recession started in 2008, you are in the recession.

[@Willi-w1q]

I came across your channel through this video-case studies are incredibly valuable, and I'm eager to see more in the future! Building wealth involves establishing routines, like consistently setting aside funds at regular intervals for smart investments.

[@Markphilip-r4i]

You're correct. I think the smartest way to go is to spread out your investments. By putting your money into different asset classes like bonds, real estate, and stocks from other countries, you can lower the risk if one part of the market goes bad.

[@MarieRoque3985]

I love how cutting military spending is seen as a worst case scenario lol

[@j10001]

Fair. But remember that Social Security check won’t do you much good if you’re working (and dying) in a Russian Gulag or Chinese labor camp.

[@lt8833]

For a nation protected by 2 massive oceans Military is only for geopolitical reasons

[@kingcheezit7]

As someone who works in the military industrial complex, I see every day how big a threat Americans face every single day. I know I'm biased, but I do know this for a fact: a reduction in American military spending is a reduction in the American ability to forget about how just unsafe they really are from the enemy. I don't know about you, but I would prefer to not need to get drafted...lotta good retirement money would do me in my grave lol

[@kuatliocelotl1]

Red Dawn was a movie dude​@@j10001

[@lorenabueno8620]

@@kingcheezit7the reason why the gov pays people is because no one wants to be drafted. So they incentivize with their pay. But many people would argue if the US began to work with China and Russia away from the rhetoric you stated above @j10001, then we shouldn’t be in this mess. The military did receive a higher budget they themselves did not ask for. If you ask me the Us is in a great geographical position away from great danger.

[@sommersalt88]

Baby boomers are retiring or on the verge to, so how do we deal with such recession-influenced market conditions? Typically my $250k worth of holdings go up 8% then lose 20% right after and the cycle continues, I’m confused and truly sick of the system

[@gagnepaingilly]

Knowledgeable Investors know where and how to put money during a crisis in order to reduce risk and maximize returns. See a market strategist with experience if you are unable to manage these market conditions

[@Curbalnk]

Brent Johnson, who I think is an or the authority on de-dollarization, already said that the dollar will be replaced eventually. The question really is when and more importantly by what? The Fed & US & other governments will do what they need to do to kick the can down the road. The challenges is how should one invest, & what one’s current situation is? I am very interested in what or where should an average Joe should do just so they can get by, & not really get rich.

[@greekbarrios]

The market is not necessarily a rollercoaster if you know your way around the market, there are various opportunities in the present market to accrue good profit, If you are not too savvy with the market, just buy and hold on strong companies with good earnings, or consult with advisors on ETFs and actively managed funds.

[@blaquopaque]

Thank you for sharing, I must say, Jennifer appears to be quite knowledgeable. After coming across her web page, I went through her resume and it was quite impressive. I reached out and scheduled a call.

[@ashman0071]

@@gagnepaingilly Almost all financial advisors will never beat a simple Index Fund invested in the SP500 - that's a fact - diversification is for people and financial advisors who have no idea what they are doing - income averaging is also foolish - buy dips - set stop losses and don't be a dinosaur ........

[@theroadstopshere]

Bold of you to assume any of us younger generations expected to get Social Security payouts in the first place, WSJ. Hearing that it'd still be there to a large degree and things would just generally be shittier is already better news than most of us were expecting. We already knew that we were gonna be facing a tougher financial future than our parents and grandparents because we're living it now, knowing that even when the trust runs dry we'll still be able to get back a portion of what we paid in is a helluva lot better than the 3 slugs retirement plan most of us were expecting. (2 slugs of liquor, 1 of buckshot)

[@Kev88-wf8no]

Correct - I got a nice card from SS in 2005 that accurately predicted these reduced payments beginning at a certain date, I was told at age 24 and took note

[@no-barknoonan1335]

​@@Kev88-wf8noMy public school textbooks in 2005 told us we'd be out of money and we'd be SOL. I think it's sad if it's to the point you're telling kids in school, that they'd rather leave a whole heap of problems for them, rather than risk asking the rich to pay a little more taxes. Fiscal responsibility died during Reagan era, when he cut taxes the deficit boomed. George Bush Sr knew the only way to be responsible was to raise taxes, and the backlash was bad enough that people voted 3rd party and he lost. Bill Clinton to his credit did try quite hard and in many ways did bring spending in, but after 9/11 we stopped counting and never started counting again. Sad state of affairs we leave for future generations, because we're too entitled to bother fixing it ourselves.

[@kimisreading]

True.

[@Bradastan]

I’m gen-x and don’t expect much if any SS when I retire.

[@caravanlifenz]

That's what I was thinking. Here in New Zealand, I've long thought the government will run out of money before I reach retirement age. I don't even factor retirement payments into my future budget because I just don't see how NZ will ever recover when all our jobs are outsourced to India or replaced by AI.

[@csm9105]

I remember sitting in a high school class, around 1978, and the teacher laid out the same scenario.

[@KayKay0314]

In 1978, the percentage of your salary paid into Social Security was 5.05%. Now it's 6.2% and has been that way since 1990. They need to remove the income cap completely as a start. You make a million dollars (or more) for a salary, then ALL of it should be subject to 6.2% Social Security, not just $168,600 in 2024.

[@starventure]

@@KayKay0314Prepare to be voted out of office then. Your proposal is about as palatable as conscription.

[@vladimirofsvalbard9477]

Anybody that touches Social Security (in any manner) loses re-election. It's all about how your opposition can frame you in the media lol

[@SmallSpoonBrigade]

@@starventure No, it's not, it's mostly the wealthy and uneducated that see it that way. The reality is that the trust is going bust because the wealthy have been hoarding their wealth at the expense of workers, which leads to money not being paid into the trust that should be. And to make matters worse, since workers aren't making what they should, it's also harder for workers to save enough to not need the social security pension money.

[@ibanezaxe8]

How many American voters do you think make more than the 160k limit? If working class voters weren’t so susceptible to racist dog whistles that have them voting for GOP or corporate Dems removing the cap would be wildly popular bc it benefits all retirees and only involves higher taxes for people earning more than the cap. And I say this as someone who works in tech and earns more than the cap: it should be removed. Why should I pay a lower % of my salary to Social Security than a teacher or nurse?

[@Rochelletrem]

This is my fifth year after retirement. I’e been following the 4% rule thing I saw on a youTube channel, but this isn’t really how hard I expected things to be. After I cashed out a lump sum, I still have about $760k left, but at this rate, and with how the market is (we were putting money away in an index fund), I’m starting to get really worried.

[@donna_martins]

Not a lot of people are able to save that much in a lifetime. But now you are retired and depend on your investment, it’s best you redistribute your capital. To simplify the process, you could allocate your resources with the help of a financial advisor.

[@Robert_Seaman]

I’m closing in on retirement, too, and I have benefitted so much from using a financial advisor. I didn’t start early, so I knew the compound interest of index fund investing would not work for me. Funny how I pulled in more profit than some of my peers who had been investing for many years.

[@ilyaveysman.]

I really need help, please. Can I ask who the financial advisor you work with is?

[@Robert_Seaman]

Sure, the likes of the popular lady vivian jean wilhelm’’ does a good job. Just look up the name, you’d find details on the web to set up an appointment as she offers free consultations from first timers like yourself.

[@ilyaveysman.]

Thank you for this pointer. It was easy to find vivian handler, She seems very proficient and flexible. I booked a calI session with her.

[@NicholasBall130]

I’ve been diligently working, saving and contributing towards financial freedom and early retirement, but the economy so far since the pandemic has eaten away most of my portfolio, what I want to know is this: Do I keep contributing to my portfolio in these unstable markets or do I look into alternative sectors.

[@StocksWolf752]

Just try to diversify your portfolio to other market sectors, that way your investment is balanced and you don’t get to make so much losses.

[@EleanorBaker474]

I’m a contractor, and my job doesn’t permit me the time to properly analyze my holdings/evaluate stocks myself, so I’ve had a fiduciary actively restructuring my portfolio for the past 7 years now to match the present market condition and that’s how I’ve been able to stay afloat, knowing when to buy and sell…maybe you should do the same.

[@StacieBMui]

How can I reach this adviser of yours? because I'm seeking for a more effective investment approach on my savings

[@EleanorBaker474]

“Sonya lee Mitchell’’ is the licensed fiduciary I use. Just research the name. You’d find necessary details to work with a correspondence to set up an appointment.

[@crystalcassandra5597]

I searched her up, and I have sent her an email. I hope she gets back to me soon. Thank you

[@medz3398]

We avoided this in Australia by having mandatory superannuation (401k for Americans). Your employer is legally required to contribute 10%(soon to be 12%) of your wage into a managed account that you can’t touch until retirement age (65) We also have pensions for those who don’t have superannuation or retired before they came in

[@YoutubeSupportOfficialUS]

Did anyone who contributed to your equivalent social security get anything from that fund?

[@Sylvan_dB]

The SS program is the same thing, but it is government run and the funds are paid out to current recipients and any extra are lent out to the government instead of being invested. The employer has to pay the same tax amount as the employee - 1:1 match. If I had been able to invest my ss tax instead of giving it to the gov't, I'd be able to start taking my max benefit now, and if I had been able to invest the employer portion I'd have 2x my max benefit.

[@JeffPortnoyFatties]

I heard in the AU higher education is automatically loaned and not required to be paid back until you reach a certain income threshold which is then automatically deducted. Smart move.

[@marvinmallette6795]

It is confusing to most Americans, but the problem is overblown. Social Security had a surplus as a result of a "baby boom", they had more money coming in for retirees than anybody knew what to do with. That surplus was never going to last, and was always going to be depleted. We don't really want the population issues that China and India have seen, should the USA have continued on the Baby Boom path. This is no reason to panic. There is just the normal red tape of politics of managing how Social Security should be taxed and spent. American 401k plans are a different subject. An entirely different deep dive.

[@BearingMySeoul]

They have a similar thing in Korea but I think the amount is one month's salary for every year you work. Unlike the US, the money is in your name only---no giving out loans---and you're enttitled to all that was paid in under your name.

[@christophergreen5693]

Unbelievable. This problem was perfectly clear when we were arguing about retirement security during the 1988-1989 high school policy debate season, and got even clearer after GWB spent so much of 2005 talking about it.

[@2_Normal_Ted_Junior]

Apparently people like nearly destroying each other.

[@Letsplay222]

Wasn't the problem first made perfectly clear when the program was expanded to its current use in the 1960s?

[@patty109109]

It’s not unbelievable at all. Voters are notoriously bad at delaying gratification. They are myopic- this video even says as much by pointing out how many don’t have their own retirement saved. In short any party that pushes this topic will have entitled boomers voting against it, happy to see their kids cover their profligacy and lack of planning. A selfish generation, many believe.

[@marioh_flores]

My Econ teacher in 2011 told me I’d never see a penny of it when I got older, he said the solution is to save our own selves and not to count on the feds

[@mrMYass]

@@marioh_flores don’t worry the fed will just print more money and destroy the value of your savings. 😊

[@lorenabueno8620]

My high school teacher in 2013 told me to forget about my social security benefit even if I am a young student in the workforce I will probably not see the benefits. And here we are 10years later. And I’m starting to feel like legislative body is not going to do any of this

[@jilbertb]

They knew this 20 years ago, kids. Blame the Republicans Reagan, Bush, Clinton, Bush for stealing 2 TRILLION from the SS fund to use on our military!

[@dr_flunks]

high school teachers aren't the smartest lot.

[@randy74989]

As an individual, it is your responsibility to invest in your retirement via your company's 401k or 403b plan or by opening up an Individual IRA and funding it to the maximum allowed amount annually. It is important to remember that no one owes you a living, so it is crucial to plan and save for your future. Social Security is only intended to cover 30% of your retirement expenses, and it is estimated that out-of-pocket medical expenses for a retired couple aged 65 will be $315,000.

[@mangodiet801]

@@randy74989 401(k)s are subject to market downturns, you're best off getting a pension .. there's a reason why companies hate pensions = it's good for the people but not their pockets

[@martinczejalski1543]

yes, no political party wants to try to sort it out as initially, unpopular decisions will have to be made. which means losing votes and getting removed from power. So would you do what's right and lose or don't do anything and hope that when the 11th hour comes, the opposition is in power during that 'term'?

[@vikingspud]

Gen Xer here. Can't help but notice that in 2034, the year SS is supposed to run out of IOUs, is the year that I become eligible for SS. Thanks, Boomers.

[@beecee921]

Thank President Reagan who started raiding the trust fund for tax breaks, etc.

[@СнежныйДжони]

Why won't you just have kids tho?

[@chezellis]

The Boomers definitely put tons in. The problem is the government raiding the funds. Reaganomics gave us not just the "IOU"s from raiding Social Security but also started up the taxing of certain amounts of Social Security; In essence, taxing us twice on the same money.

[@jarrettbobbett5230]

1 Boomer is worth 10 Z-ers

[@mark.harvey]

​@@beecee921anything used from the trust fund must be repaid and will be repaid. At worst money will be created to balance the debt. Blame general government overspending instead.

[@actualsnow345]

I'm 26 and I've just accepted that I'm going to have to work until I die. My plan is to get a job at a hospital where I can work 3 12 hour night shifts per week. Then just do that until I die lol

[@Kevin-zz9nc]

That was my plan too until they closed more than half the hospitals in NYC.....

[@actualsnow345]

@@Kevin-zz9nc that sucks bro I hope your doing well

[@j10001]

Sorry to hear that, bro. Any chance you could get 5-6 twelve-hour shifts per week (possibly across two hospitals)? I know that sounds brutal, but that’s a pretty typical workload in high-end professional jobs, and it might let you stash away a bunch of money toward retirement for the next 5-10 years. With compounding of that investment, there might be some hope to truly retire someday. It’s just an idea- I know those are brutal shifts! That said, better to do it while you are young so you can have a home of your own and a place to rest your weary bones in old age.

[@JakeSmith-jy1kx]

Why not instead accept that you need to save and invest in order to avoid that? 26 is young. You have time. You don't have to sacrifice your future.

[@MeltingRubberZ28]

Invest in VOO thru Vanguard, in a Roth IRA account. You max that account out every year you will have at least a tax free million dollars by thr time you retire.

[@michaelwiebeck3]

Most Americans find it hard to retire comfortably amid economy downtrend. Some have close to nothing going into retirement, my question is, will you pay off mortgage as a near-retiree, or spread money for cashflow, to afford lifestyle after retirement?

[@Rachadrian]

as most investing-related questions, the answer is, it depends.. my best suggestion is to consider advisory management

[@Dantursi1]

Agreed, the role of advisors can only be overlooked, but not denied. I remember in early 2020, during covid-outbreak, my portfolio worth around 300k took a slight fall, apparently due to the pandemic crash, at once I consulted an advisor in order to avoid panic-selling. As of today, my account has yielded big fat yields, and leverages on 7-figure, only cos I delegate my excesses right.

[@Pconradsmith]

@@Dantursi1 this is huge! mind if I look up the advisr that guides you please? only invest in my 401k through my employer for now, but enthused about diversifying my investments for a prosperous financial future

[@Dantursi1]

There are several independent advisors you could research. However, I have been working with “Melissa Rose Francks” for almost four years, and we get along great. If she appeals to your judgement, you could continue with her. I support her.

[@Pconradsmith]

very much appreciated, your response suggests a person of benevolence.. just inputted her full name on my browser, and came across her site, top-notch qualifications! she seems well-qualified

[@Wtylerosborne]

People view Social Security as a retirement plan but it wasn't designed to be that. It was designed to keep the elderly people out of poverty. When it was created the average lifespan was below the age in which you could claim Social Security meaning the average person didn't get any payout. Since then, the average US lifespan has increased to ~10-15 years after one can claim Social Security meaning the average American is claiming it for much, much longer. Congress should've tracked the benefit age to slightly above average US lifespan and US education systems have failed by not teaching kids about how these programs work and how to save for retirement.

[@MeltingRubberZ28]

This is the worst take I've ever seen. If politicians never robbed SS we all would have more than enough money to fund it and then some.

[@mikeingeorgia1]

So they should make you pay into something you’ll never collect from? Just be born, grind, die? I doubt anyone would object to that at all lol

[@jimshoe402]

3 legged Stool and SS is ONE...😁😁😁😁

[@Sylvan_dB]

You misinterpret average lifespan. Average lifespan includes infant and childhood mortality. Once reaching adulthood, the average lifespan is and was much longer. Since most people do make it to adulthood, the average person did collect SS when the program first started.

[@X4zerm4n]

The average post-childhood lifespan was not significantly shorter than it is today.

[@Lewistonwilliams-f5i]

The thought of retirement makes me cry. My apologies to everyone who have retired and filing social security during this time after putting in all those years of work just to lose everything to a problem you weren't to blame for.it's especially difficult for people who are retired.

[@Agatha.wayne0]

True, It has never been easier to understand how to build your money after retirement than it is right now with the inflation, when you may study and experience a completely variegated market passively by employing a successful portfolio-advisor. The impacts of the U.S. dollar's gain or fall on investments, in my opinion, are complex.

[@Helen_white1]

With the help of an experienced coach, I made some changes in my investments. I started with $321k, and now I have more than $750k by investing in stocks, ETFs, and bonds. I think housing prices won't go down much until there are more houses available.

[@Agatha.wayne0]

How can I reach this adviser of yours? because I'm seeking for a more effective investment approach on my savings

[@user-zu5do6ri6r]

I blame them. They worked and supported the flawed idea their entire lives.

[@tstorm3706]

If only there was a way to get a large number of working age people to come to the country and boost the workforce.

[@twelvecatsinatrenchcoat]

"The American family is collapsing and American young people can't afford to have children anymore because they're loaded with overpriced student debt and housing is too expensive. It's hollowing out the middle-class work force. What do we do?" "Start shipping in millions of gang members from El Salvador to replace the children working Americans can't afford to have." -literally you, actually thinking you have a good idea

[@tw8464]

Exactly

[@SigFigNewton]

Immigration is the best thing to happen to an economy since technological advancements

[@SigFigNewton]

I think what people are kept from understanding is that immigrants supply more than they demand. Because I was born here, this country had to support me during my unproductive preadult years

[@twelvecatsinatrenchcoat]

​@@SigFigNewton The equator is expected to warm by up to 3.3 C before 2100. If you think this "migrant crisis" is just a moment in time, you need to wake up. In the next 75 years the Rio Grande and the Mediterranean are going to turn into World War Z.

[@gianfrancobardiaparicio721]

It would be interesting to see how much social security would be better off if wages had kept up with productivity and inflation. Would the huge gains in productivity per worker make up for the demographic shift?

[@frank-d9v]

Google the amount gov has borrowed🤣🤣😂😂....its 2 trillion$$ if invested like it should be the interest alone could pay out citizens on SS

[@joshua511]

It would be interesting to see how things would be if minimum wage was constantly getting artificially increased by politicians.

[@eric2394]

I still get a pension at my job 🎉

[@SOULRELIEF22]

LOVE JESUS FOR ETERNAL SECURITY! ST JOHN 3:16! ❤️✝️❤️

[@WeekiWacheeMax]

@@joshua511 It's been years since anyone would go to work for minimum wage. Supply and demand and businesses competing with each other for workers have set the price of wages at different skill levels for years.

[@pcb462]

It’s simple, remove the cap of max payment per year on the top 5% of income earners.

[@johnsamuel1999]

I think biden already remived the cap above a certain income

[@letsburn00]

The US overall has one of the flattest tax bases of all for this reason. The wealthy simply do not pay the taxes that just the tax brackets look like. In reality, once you're in the higher wealth areas, you stop paying a higher proportion as taxes, even when you get into the millionaire region.

[@ryantetreault3447]

@@letsburn00you don’t “just stop” paying taxes at higher levels. The income they generate is apart of their business and they deduct their expense

[@letsburn00]

@@ryantetreault3447 no, I mean that for social security there is a cap. Overall, accounting for sale taxes, the tax rate in the US is very flat, with the rich not really paying that much higher a rate.

[@Shadowtiger2564]

Theyre talking about the SD tax cap​@letsburn00

[@ortcutt]

The oldest Baby Boomers are 78. The youngest are 60. Most Baby Boomers are already retired. They aren't entering retirement.

[@chrippin]

Tell that to the ones who haven’t retired yet because they can’t afford to

[@tonii5690]

Or they don't want to @@chrippin

[@MagicNash89]

@@chrippin OK, why is this relevant here exactly? Wil lthey suddenly be able to en-masse retire in the nearest time, and if so, why?

[@twelvecatsinatrenchcoat]

Neither of my parents are retired. They have to work in their 70's to support my recovering addict single mother sister and her two kids with ADHD who can't read.

[@ackeejag]

@@chrippin tell that to the millennials and gen Z that have been robbed of a future by these people. We don’t care. Lift yourself up by your bootstraps, boomers.

[@slimjimjimslim5923]

Boomers enjoyed the golden economic age of USA, good employment benefit, job security, affordable housing cars, and now retiring and taking out a huge chunk of money from everyone. 😢 but I don’t blame anyone, the government is suppose to be in charge of handling these country wide issues.

[@manovrsb]

Well um you see humans were suppose to procreate and leave behind a younger generation to foot the bill. Instead some of these people went the other way and thought pets can be children.

[@joshua511]

Zoomers are in the golden economic age right now. You can start a very successful business with a fraction of the resources needed 4 decades ago, plus you have information at your fingertips. Stay off the silly TikTok videos and go build something.

[@Christian-uj1mq]

😂😂 u forget the fact boomers have had strong impact on politics if anything it just shows they never cared about it their whole life or something would have been done, but now younger generation are supposed to care ?

[@neveser]

The government is in charge, that's why we are here now.

[@doujinflip]

Boomers still dominate politics, especially now as retirees when work and kids no longer distract them from TV and voting. If anything things will first get worse because their voting consistency will attract more political attention to their expensive terminal benefits at the expense of everything else the government needs to budget for.

[@garrettdesantis9421]

Phase out social security. Stop taking it out of our checks now and let us decide what to do with it.

[@charleshill7184]

Been there, done that, not going back. That's what we had before Social Security and the Great Depression saw poverty rates among senior citizens soared to over 50%. Those who fail to learn from history are doomed to repeat it.

[@bigdog8008]

So those of us forced to pay 12.6% into FICA for decades are completely screwed as long as you get all your money, right?

[@user-zu5do6ri6r]

@charleshill7184 Every dollar taken from a person in their 20s is equivalent to taking $10 in their 40s. Seniors can't lose half of their wealth if the government has already stolen that half. You have a brilliant solution to ensuring that the majority are poor.

[@19MAD95]

I can’t wait for the housing bubble to burst thanks to this. Boomers will finally have to sell their massive houses and lake houses that they bought for 3 buttons.

[@jeffreymitchell4904]

Only to be scooped up instantly by corporations that turn them into short term rentals... I see no light at the end of this tunnel.

[@stevechrollo8074]

Wont be a housing crash if everyone is waiting on the sidelines to buy it. It will be a crash when most people (including you) will lose their job

[@TheCrazeturk]

@@stevechrollo8074 Bingo, prices can only crash if people are forced to sell en masse.

[@gbb82]

I paid more than three buttons for my small house.

[@joey_zhu]

@@jeffreymitchell4904 there is; boomers are not immortal

[@Peterl4290]

I would say TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THE RECISSION! Recessions are an unavoidable part of the economic cycle; all you can do is prepare for them and plan accordingly. I graduated into a slump (2009). My first job after graduating from college was as an aerial acrobat on cruise ships. Today, I work as a VP for a global corporation, own three rental properties, invest in stocks and businesses, run my own company, and have increased my net worth by $500k in the last four years.

[@larrypaul-cw9nk]

Thats commendable dear. You should consider imploring the services of a Financial Advisor so you don't get ripped off in the market. They provide personalized advice to individuals based on their risk appetite, placing them among the best of the best. There are bad ones, but some with good track records can be very good.

[@Mrshuster]

It's often true that people underestimate the importance of financial advisors until they feel the negative effects of emotional decision-making. I remember a few summers ago, after a tough divorce, when I needed a boost for my struggling business. I researched and found a licensed advisor who diligently helped grow my reserves despite inflation. Consequently, my reserves increased from $275k to around $750k.

[@sabastinenoah]

Recently, I've been considering the possibility of speaking with consultants. I need guidance because I'm an adult, but I'm not sure if their services would be all that helpful.

[@Mrshuster]

Her name is “Vivian Carol Gioia can't divulge much. Most likely, the internet should have her basic info, you can research if you like

[@sabastinenoah]

I just Googled her name and her website came up right away. It looks interesting so far. I'm going to send a mail to her and let you know how it goes.Thanks for sharing truly!

[@gorshenbag]

There should never be IOUs for Social Security

[@At_the_Garden]

I think what they mean is that for years SS took in more money than it spent. The extra money was invested in US Treasury bonds. Now SS is redeeming the bonds to pay out benefits.

[@jmagicd9831]

@@At_the_Gardenhe has a point though. Almost no private retirement fund is running with an non diversified 100% bond portfolio, and yet we are stuck with that in the social security trust fund

[@mylifeisajoke1]

@@jmagicd9831 That was put in place to prevent any monkey business with the investment of the fund as it would have been the single largest institutional investor on the planet.

[@jmagicd9831]

@@mylifeisajoke1 I know that, that’s the government doesn’t belong in the wealth management business to start with, and yet we are forced into an investment that doesn’t make sense . (I’d say bad investment but that means something else in this context)

[@christianlibertarian5488]

You misunderstand what SS is. It is NOT an investment. It is straight payment from workers to retirees, nothing more. The amount taxed over the payout was just another tax, used to fund everything else in the government.@@jmagicd9831

[@moomie1634]

There's a solution almost no one talks about. Social security has one rule that sets it apart from other pension/sovereign wealth funds: It can only invest in bonds. If we take something like the Norway SWF or Canadian SWF they invest into alternative assets that grow by a large amount YoY. Now you take social security, which has been getting 2% bonds for the last few years due to low interest rates, and you begin to see where the issue might be. If we allowed social security to be run like literally any other pension, it would be free to invest into alternative assets. I mean, imagine what 3 trillion could do if it was invested into things like green energy or into the market. It would create millions of jobs and a ton of wealth while also generating a significant increase in interest income.

[@vanclief]

That could potentially backfire if its not invested properly, which being realistic its unlikely to do so. The best approach would be to just put it into the SP500 and have enough cash/bonds for when the market is on a downturn.

[@victoriacooper6892]

Higher return, higher risk.

[@CHMichael]

But then the government would have had to pay more for the money they sent abroad for "gende studies" . ( sarcasm) Given the tremendous wealth of this country in oil unerring federal land et. A sovereign wealth fund would be wonerfull.

[@Shadowtiger2564]

There's also the cap on it. After 129000 dollars in income you don't pay in to the SS tax anymore. It's a huge amount of money that's not taxed on high income earners

[@DingoAteMeBaby]

yea except do you really trust our government to be responsible with a market fund, which would undoubtably become the largest on the planet?

[@hikerliz]

Easy fix, eliminate the cap on the taxes that fund Social Security

[@Comm0ut]

The American public are not that intelligent. Look at our elections. It's horrible for those of us with IQs above room temperature, but that's not very many.

[@jilbertb]

And let the ultra rich opt-out of the mandatory withdraw from SS.

[@SandfordSmythe]

SS is self-contributory

[@HQSCJIPZ]

Easy fix… raise full retirement age to 75 years old

[@starventure]

@@HQSCJIPZRIP to your political career. AARP will send the flowers and a FU card to your service.

[@agni772]

Corporations are "people," so tax them accordingly. It's dumb that corporations that take advantage of the government the most pays proportionally the least. Maybe allow them some tax breaks depending on the amount of taxes their workers pay to encourage employment, but with technology replacing humans, taxing humans will become more and more problematic even with a population boom.

[@dr_flunks]

they're more people that you people.

[@bigdog8008]

As stated by many people and most businesses -- businesses do not pay taxes. If their "business taxes" go up, they collect more money from their customers (e.g. YOU) and pass that to the government. Remove all business taxes, rewrite tax code to redefine what constitutes taxable income. Then corporations and businesses can no longer claim "no taxation without representation" -- the bribes to crooked politicians will grind to a halt quickly.

[@scottarmstrong11]

Planning retirement has never been this confusing! First SVB, then Signature bank and now First republic, these are all the signs of yet another 2008 market crash and recession 2.0, so my question is do I still save in the United States dollar, or could this be a good time to buy stocks? So I’m left wondering what 2023 has in store for us investors, I’ve been sitting on over $745K equity from a home sale and I’m not sure where to go from here,

[@monicawill5]

Everyone needs a different stream of income , unfortunately having a job doesn't mean security due to the high rate of tax , one needs to move ahead their expectation, I would recommend refraining from investing in stocks for now. Instead, it would be prudent to consider retaining a portion of your assets in gold. Alternatively, seeking advice from a financial advisor could provide valuable guidance in this matter.

[@emiliabucks33]

true, A lot of folks downplay the role of advisors until being burnt by their own emotions. I remember couple summers back, after my lengthy divorce, I needed a good boost to help my business stay afloat, hence I researched for license advisors and came across someone of due diligence, helped a lot to grow my reserve notwithstanding inflation, from $275k to approx. $850k so far.

[@emiliabucks33]

Carol Vivian Constable is the licensed fiduciary I use. Just research the name. You’d find necessary details to work with a correspondence to set up an appointment..

[@jvn-117]

If you follow the news narratives, you've come to see how over the years Bitcoin has proven time and time again it's value against an everlasting dollar depreciation. My advice is not to go all in, but to allocate a good portion into a long term position. The news will keep telling you it's risky, it's volatile, but behind closed doors you will see how institutions and wealthy class buy more and more. If a big crash occurs, buy more, and stocks that the world depends heavily on. NVDA, AMD, Intel. The nervous system of our entire civilization depends on those companies

[@christiansanchez2730]

Be careful, scammers above.

[@FabianKim-z9u]

Basically anything that is good for the ppl can cause a recession. But anything that is good for corporations/billionaires is progress. Wake up people

[@bobsacamano7653]

wrong

[@RossiPopa]

There is potential for considerable wealth increase with the correct strategy. I want to know; How can one take advantage of compound interest and potentially grow your retirement savings/net-worth to about $3M over time?

[@RusuSilva]

An effective strategy serves as a cornerstone in an investor's portfolio. As the level of risk increases, so does the potential for reward, making it essential to seek advice from experienced professionals for making sound decisions.

[@FusunTumsavas-cq7tp]

Precise asset allocation is crucial, with some employing hedging strategies or allocating to defensive assets for market downturns. Expert guidance is vital for success. This approach has kept me financially secure for over five years, yielding almost $1 million in investment returns.

[@RichardMoore-jg5tl]

How can I participate in this? I sincerely aspire to establish a secure financlal future and am eager to participate. Who is the driving force behind your success?

[@FusunTumsavas-cq7tp]

Monica Shawn Marti is the licensed coach I use. Just research the name. You'd find necessary details to work with a correspondence to set up an appointment.

[@RichardMoore-jg5tl]

I appreciate it. After searching her name online and reviewing her credentials, I'm quite impressed. I've contacted her as I could use all the help I can get. A call has been scheduled.

[@kapsig10]

Basically I’m hearing we can’t afford to be the police of the globe anymore 😊

[@KhanJoltrane]

That’s what corporate tax cuts and loopholes will do for you 🤷‍♀️

[@joshua511]

@@KhanJoltrane UK Corporate Tax rate is lower and their politicians spend money like drunken sailors, too. People like you are the problem. "If only gov't was bigger, they could do more good". No, tax rates should be so low that gov't departments have no choice but to only keep essential staff and have to justify every single dollar they spend.

[@thaisbakker6846]

34 trillion in debt, time to pay up.

[@seanl764]

Hard to keep policing the Globe when the rest of the Globe is catching up. I mean who tf in the USA wants to work harder than the Chinese and Indians. You go to most of the top US based fortune 500 companies like Google, Meta, Apple, Microsoft, Tesla and most of the workers are already Chinese and Indian immigrants even in the USA...

[@FamilyManMoving]

Or, we just need to charge more. "Nice cargo route you have there. It'd be a shame if something happened to it." ;)

[@jeffcauhape6880]

The problems has been known for decades, but there haven't been enough people in Congress with enough back-bone to deal with it.

[@lucy-ruoxi]

Thanks for this video!

[@coversby2]

No one is talking about the outright fraud in SSI disability. Poor people are collecting ssi for kids with add. My friend has lower income rentals the entire family 7 people were “disabled” on SSI. These plaintiff firms should not be allowed to take a third of ssi benefit. These plaintiff lawyers coach their “clients” on what to say. Ssi disability is now a welfare program

[@SandfordSmythe]

SSI is not SS. Social Security Disability is a separate fund, and it is doing much better than retirement.

[@bigdog8008]

@@SandfordSmythe Yes, separate pot of money. But not like our government has *never* mixed them up before.

[@SandfordSmythe]

@@bigdog8008 You have to explain what you are saying."Mixing" means what?

[@bigdog8008]

@@SandfordSmythe Exactly what it sounds like. There have been many cases of the US government "robbing Peter to pay Paul".

[@throwinturtles]

America should look at a superannuation system like in Australia. Essentially forced savings inaccessible until retirement, it may not be initially well received but could appeal to US "you gotta support yourself" individualist mentality.

[@GolemDude]

When I was a kid that’s what I thought social security was

[@denisebycapricorn]

Uh no and mind your business. On stolen land

[@bigdog8008]

So essentially you are forced into savings inaccessible until retirement. We call that "Social Security" and pays monthly comparable to your fortnight (converted to monthly). But many of us prefer to have additional money at retirement -- what we call 401K. That part is not forced.

[@WillpowerCinema]

Mandatory 401k taken as a percentage of your paycheck would be better in my opinion than the ponzi like structure of Social Security There are also products like annuities that pay you when you retire. Is it really the government’s job to take care of all the old people? Or is it up to us?

[@sython8188]

@@WillpowerCinema or how about instead of telling people how they have to use their money you let them keep it and deal with it themselves

[@SteveDutton-v]

Recession! Crash! Inflation! It’s getting depressing. I have about $100k in emergency fund and I have been seeing good news about the stock market and would like to gain from that since I can’t let my savings be corroded by inflation. What stocks should I into as a newbie to safely grow my money.

[@PASCALDAB]

Its best if you buy growth/blue-chip/large caps stocks only. Also, as a newbie its advisable you work with an investment advisor to help set up a well-structured portfolio.

[@SeanTalkoff]

Apt!! I was self managing but suffered heavy losses in 2022 and i knew i couldn't continue like that, so i consulted a fiduciary financial advisor. By restructuring and diversifying my $620k portfolio with dividend-paying stocks, ETFs, Mutual funds and REITs, I significantly boosted my portfolio, achieving an annualized gain of 30%.

[@SeanTalkoff]

Vivian Carol Gioia is the licensed advisor I use. Just research the name. You’d find necessary details to work with a correspondence to set up an appointment.

[@jet4415]

No one brings up that of the over 1.176 million people who died of Covid were over 65. So a lot of people went off Social Security.

[@19MAD95]

That’s not enough.

[@randy74989]

@@19MAD95 Exactly ~10,000 baby boomers are retiring daily this year. Calculate that number and Covid deaths mean nothing to SS. No one should have expected to live off Social Security. It was set up to replace ~25 to 30% of your expenses. You were supposed to save, save, and save some more while you were working and downsize your living costs before you retired. Americans were spoiled by credit cards, easy money, and near zero interest rates since 2008.

[@PSy84]

and most of those who died dont have retirement benefits😂...so doesnt matter aside from it's small population. Many people who died in covid are working people who's supposed to contribute

[@dtafneto]

Move abroad to a low cost of living country. Americans would be surprised at how far 1500 to 2000 dollars can go in these places

[@QueenetBowie]

Millennial here, I honestly expect to keep working well into my seventies if able, I’ve assumed for years SS will not be adjusted as needed and will be in dire shape by the time I can retire…. It would be great if they made some incremental changes now to fix it instead of giant painful ones decades from now but that would require politicians who care about the future generations and who have courage and we don’t have either of those in DC

[@Mavryck_Tha_Myghty]

Rely on yourself. Rely on your own income and investments. Do not rely on Social (in)Security or the government. You will be disappointed every time.

[@hellzshotgun]

​@@Mavryck_Tha_Myghty While I agree in spirit, this is impractical for many poor people.

[@DingoAteMeBaby]

like youll have a choice

[@oldfreddyfrenchfry1]

Amazing how obvious the problem with SS is - take money from workers and “promise” they’ll get it, but your name is not attached to it, and there’s never a stable balance of money in vs money out. So it’s a holo empty promise. SS is really just a tax, and is infuriating. I could invest that money into my own retirement account.

[@duerf5826]

That would be great in an ideal world but we don’t live in an ideal world. We live in a world full of morons who would waste away all their money if left to their own devices, which is why SS was created in the first place. If SS payout is to stop tomorrow, we would have a situation that would make the current SF homeless problem to look like a molehill in comparison.

[@oldfreddyfrenchfry1]

But why do we pretend that the federal government has responsibility for our retirement planning? Everyone is responsible for their own health, their own diet, their own education, and retirement savings should be the same. SS lulls people into a false sense of security, b/c they think it’ll all work out and be enough, but it doesn’t.

[@thedopplereffect00]

​@@duerf5826so have an intelligence test that determines whether or not you have to pay into it? Might work.

[@tw8464]

​@@duerf5826you're absolutely right

[@franciscodanconia4324]

It’s actually legally a hollow promise. A court decision stated that there is actually no requirement in the SS law for the government to ever pay you anything. The only thing that makes them pay is politicians afraid of getting voted out.

[@jordansmith3721]

I think the mikitary could be perfectly with a 5 billion cut.

[@Pfyzer]

And also foreign military "aid"

[@dr.z8378]

That’s a dangerous idea, the only reason there are more wars and provocations from everywhere is the shrinking military gap between US and let’s say China Russia. Military needs to spend not because they need to make more wars, but they are a deterrent for the world peace. If you don’t have carrier groups in Asia as deterrent, Taiwan will be gone tomorrow, Ukraine will be gone tonight. Yes US military is very inefficient due to focus on R&D for the “edge”, but they need more money so world peace can be maintained. I know y’all mean good and want peace, same here. But never forget who you are dealing with, without US maintaining peace, say goodbye to the world you live in.

[@costcorotisseriechicken2520]

We'll just have to tighten our belts and make do with only 11 nuclear-powered floating airports, instead of 12.

[@danzwku]

​@@dr.z8378most people don't understand this. But also, fellow democracies should also up their military spending so they're not solely depending on the US and making one country pick up the tab. The US should lead and convince others to do this.

[@Polysanityy]

@@danzwku Germany is already doing this, the current chancellor Olaf Scholz basically permitted 100 billion Euros for the Bundeswehr (which is a lot for modern Germany)

[@mlawlor472]

Time to lift the cap on taxable income If we need more money for social security

[@timothycarson114]

That's the fix and get more people back to work

[@robins_rodeo]

Exactly!

[@bigdog8008]

And when those people retire - they get larger SS checks. So that is a fix that will last a couple years and then lead to even bigger problems.

[@user-zu5do6ri6r]

Yes, stealing more money from workouts people. That's the solution to everything.

[@Keepitkind7]

It's not like they didn't see this coming

[@ArianaFelicia-cw7oq]

With so many retirees pulling out their savings, it’s going to put a strain on the economy. For someone like me, just starting to build a portfolio, this feels like a tough time to invest.

[@EmiliaSmith-h8v]

You’re not wrong. The sheer volume of withdrawals, especially from retirement accounts like 401(k)s, can disrupt the market. Add inflation and rising interest rates into the mix, and retirees are left in a bind, either withdrawing too much or risking a market downturn. The key is diversification and a solid strategy to balance risk and reward.

[@Franky-j6e]

That’s exactly why I sought professional advice. Managing my portfolio on my own felt overwhelming, especially with these market challenges. I started working with Joseph Nick Cahill, a CFA who specializes in both long-term and short-term investments. He’s helped me rebalance my portfolio and avoid common pitfalls like panic-selling during downturns.

[@Sanchyfab]

This is smart. I’m guilty of making emotional decisions with my investments, especially when the market dips. I know timing the market is impossible, but I still struggle to stay calm.

[@Theodore-tu5zg]

Thank you so much for the suggestion! I really needed it. I looked him up on Google and explored his website; he has an impressive background in investments. I've sent him an email, and I hope to hear back from him soon

[@Franky-j6e]

It is wise to do so. Starting 2025, the right way is very important, and Joseph Nick Cahill is very competent.

[@berry104]

Dont let the government manage your money

[@Rhaman68]

A statement based on zero basis. “The government” is is, the citizens. The Social Security concept was started to solve extreme poverty. On the way to today, the “us” elected to federal office successfully adapted to central influences from party leaders which were influenced by money grabbing policies. The GOP’s cut taxes from corporations and rich people. The GOP endorses self wealth. Joe and Jane’s income is taxed up to a certain amount. Why? Corporations do not pay any more than as required. Answer: make all income levels pay SS taxes and the same for corporations. It’s easy to point the problem.

[@SigFigNewton]

Medicare is enormously efficient compared to private health insurance

[@k4ba]

Then go live in an island, you can't escape taxes

[@winniethebubbly]

Born in 96. I’m in the military and will do 20 years for the pension and TriCare for life. I am also contributing 25-30% of my checks to 401k. I also invest all my other savings into stocks. I am making sacrifices today so I don’t need to rely on SS. (We probably won’t get it in 2060 anyways)

[@thedopplereffect00]

This is the right attitude

[@christosemper8715]

We definitely won’t get it in 2060. If we do it’ll be a meaningless amount

[@FadeHook23]

@@thedopplereffect00except you can die at any moment and you won’t be able to use it.

[@crazychase98]

When did you join th3y got rid of the high 3 pention a few years ago. An switched it for a social security light pension. Basically only a set percentage that you decided to put in. Even if you do 30 years it will eventually thw retirement moeny will run out

[@Typex96]

25%-30% in 401k is way too much, invest in more liquid assets

[@Soooooooooooonicable]

This honestly makes me relieved that I'm not anywhere near retirement age right now. I'd rather just work and continue to make full pay than have to worry about what the government is going to do with all this nonsense.

[@richardwilde1348]

But the situation will be much worse when you DO retire.

[@Max-nt7ho]

U r assuming u will be healthy enough to work until the day u die, and u will always have a job that supports your lifestyle.

[@NotLikeUs17]

You better hope you don’t run into any health issues either, that would force you into early retirement.

[@tonii5690]

Or an accident. @@NotLikeUs17

[@SeanMac1776]

Why is it entitlements are always the cause of a failure???? Never Deficit spending. Never irresponsible spending.

[@Wkumar07]

My generation will be working until the day that we die. Some might retire and be better off by I suspect that this will be a minority. My sisters who are younger than me (early 40s) will also have to face a hard decision when it comes to retiring.

[@damienwest2519]

Thank the boomers. Gen x, millinieals, ans gen z will suffer greatly while we all paid for benefits for boomers only to get nothing ourselves

[@bill33371]

Two things: 1. Remove the income cap on SS contributions, for 2024 its $168,600. 2. Seniors consistently vote so they'll be taken care of and not subject to abject poverty in their golden years.

[@dantheman6607]

I’m a high income earner how is that fair to me ??

[@thomaschew2191]

@@dantheman6607 @bill33371 isn't smart enough to know that there is also a top limit on how much SS will pay as a monthly benefit.

[@SigFigNewton]

@@dantheman6607because you for some reason collect more from social security despite needing it the least

[@bigdog8008]

Raising the SS cap will not make one bit of difference.

[@bigdog8008]

@@dantheman6607 Easy -- you pay more into SS while working. And when you retire - by law, you would be entitled to be paid proportionally higher benefits. In the end - raising the income cap would make absolutely no difference in the Social Security shortfall and would be an absolute waste of time and effort. But these 'just tax the rich' people just can't seem to grasp that reality.

[@nathanvanwie643]

Can’t we just get rid of it? I’d rather save money on my own not having even more stolen for me.

[@carieyounginsurance]

You’d see millions homeless if you do that…MILLIONS

[@mcdallywacker8977]

“Stolen” lol

[@quietus13]

The way the left has been winning the war of ideas, our overlords will probably go the opposite way in order to buy votes. They'll tax actual working people to the bone in order to expand the SS system from a retirement pension into a full blown UBI system.

[@jakoblarson4597]

how are old people suppose to survive 60% of seniors rely on social security

[@nathanvanwie643]

@@carieyounginsurance where’d you pull that out of? And obviously I don’t mean stop paying for the people who already paid into the service. I’d forfeit what I’ve already paid in just for the privilege of not needing to pay any more money in. That’s how bad the investment return is. The money I put in would be worth 2-3 times more invested in the stock market rather than just letting it sit in treasury bonds. They squander the money on terrible investments.

[@johnawara9719]

I believe the retirement crisis will get even worse. Many struggle to save due to low wages, rising prices, and exorbitant rents. With homeownership becoming unattainable for middle-class Americans, they may not have a home to rely on for retirement either.

[@LiamOlivia-4]

Got it! Buying stocks during a recession when prices are down could be a good move. You might get them at a lower price and sell later when they go up. Just do your homework and be aware of the risks before diving in!

[@Jacosmi]

Another example of the pampered older generation slamming the door shut that their parents so generously opened for them. The boomers were raised in soft times..

[@jaiho9442]

Everything in America can be fixed with decrease in military spending, we spend nearly a trillion dollars a year, supporting, causing, and fighting wars. We do not need 750 military bases around the world and that is just public numbers. There are hundreds of military bases that are top secret. Just imagined $800B a year pump back into this country, that would mean free education, free healthcare, high speed rail, no homeless, and every citizen feeling a little richer.

[@tweisbek2]

Agree but you don't cut that massive amount of public spending without rearranging the economy in a major way. Arms manufacturers were very smart to spread their factories around many different congressional districts, held by members of both parties, making any loss of jobs helped by a sitting congressman or woman a perfect way to lose their seat.

[@victorvonsweets9971]

I also agree that we should cease foreign aid/loans/money to Ukraine, Israel, Europe, etc in priority of putting America and her citizens first

[@leactive609]

As nice as that sounds, it isn't very realistic and wouldn't be worth the trade offs. Firstly and of course most importantly is that we're safe, no country in history has ever been as safe as the US is today. It's quite reassuring to me that unless I volunteer to go to war, I will never have to. And that goes the same for you (I'm assuming your American) and everyone else. The second reason and a very big reason as well is that $800b doesn't just fly away to never be seen again, almost all of it is spent INSIDE America and paying American WAGES. Tens of millions are employed by not only the US Department of Defense but also the contractors that produce our military equipment. Reducing or Entirely stopping military spending will cause the largest unemployment crisis in history, not to mention almost all these lost jobs are people who are highly educated and some of the best in the US. And another third reason that should be mentioned as it's also extremely important, is the technology that the US military provides to civilians. A massive one being GPS which we all use today. Not to mention the Internet was created by the US military, Duct tape was created by the US military during WW2. and many, many, many, many, many other technologies that every single American uses today.

[@leactive609]

Not to mention the fourth, very important reason. The military is pretty cool

[@sclarsen86]

Chinese troll? No, eliminating military spending would not solve all of our problems. If there's anything that the war in Ukraine shows us, or the aggressive posturing from China in the South China sea against the sovereign country of Taiwan, it's that we still live in a world with aggressive countries with strong territorial desires. Freedom isn't free, and the most dangerous thing to the United States and our interests would be giving up our means to defend ourselves or our allies/ trading partners, etc.

[@VivekLuna]

Amazing video, A friend of mine referred me to a financial adviser sometime ago and we got talking about investment and money. I started investing with $120k and in the first 2 months , my portfolio was reading $274,800. Crazy right!, I decided to reinvest my profit and gets more interesting. For over a year we have been working together making consistent profit just bought my second home 2 weeks ago and care for my family.

[@NaufalKnoechel]

I’ve been forced to find additional sources of income as I got retrenched. I barely have time to continue trading and watch my investments since I had my second daughter. Do you think I should take a break for a while from the market and focus on other things or return whenever I have free time or is it a continuous process? Thanks...

[@VivekLuna]

@@NaufalKnoechel Quitting may not be the best approach if you ask me. This is where an AI comes into the picture. I barely have time to trade myself as my job swallows up most of my time. *MARGARET MOLLI ALVEY*

[@NaufalKnoechel]

@@VivekLuna Oh please I’d love that. Thanks!

[@VivekLuna]

*MARGARET MOLLI ALVEY*

[@VivekLuna]

Lookup with her name on the webpage.

[@jumbomuffin1316]

You retire, you pay. Why should the young taxpayers be forced to pay.

[@cteal2018]

Before Social Security you had about half the elderly people in the country eating cat food out of the can for dinner. As a society, we agreed that wasn't right.

[@bigdog8008]

So you are completely fine that everybody ahead of you was forced to pay 12.6% into FICA to pay those ahead of us and have that completely stolen because of your "why should the young pay". And then you will have an insufficient amount saved up, demand financial help from the next generation or end up eating cat food.

[@jumbomuffin1316]

@@cteal2018and what do we get? If you can afford to move to Florida and buy convertibles, you don’t need anything.

[@richardmurray1655]

This is a very good explanation of the issues facing Social Security. However, there is one glaring inaccuracy around the 4:10 mark. Social security is NOT contributing to the deficit. The fact that the government has to borrow money to repay the IOU's it made to the social security trust fund does not mean that social security is adding to the deficit. This is simply refinancing debt the government already incurred when it borrowed from the trust fund in the first place. Whatever the government spent that borrowed money on initially is what contributed to the debt. The nations huge debt is not from social security benefits. This is important because no matter what is done with social security, it won't solve the debt problem.

[@ehdyn]

I’ve been working almost forty years .. always forced to pay into this program that they knew would be bankrupt just as soon as I’m set to collect and they knew that back when I was a kid.

[@ResetToZero3210]

Stopping the excessive, uncontrolled spending in the military is one of the first steps to solving the Social Security problem.

[@pablononescobar]

The military gets $800 billion a year. Social Security is $1 trillion, Medicare is another $1 trillion. Military spending isn't taking away from old person benefits; old person benefits are taking away from military spending. And guess what: China has no old age pensions, you rely on your family; meanwhile, they're building more ships than us. And don't think social welfare is more important in the grand scheme of things than military affairs; 2,000 years later, we remember the military exploits of the Roman Empire, which explain why Western culture is the way it is today. But do you even know what the cura annonnae was?

[@ResetToZero3210]

@@pablononescobar Notice I said “one of the first steps”, not the only step. Several other measures are also needed, as you mentioned. But remember the $800 billion/year refers to direct spending. The indirect spending is far larger than that - check yourself the stats. Glad you mention the Roman Empire. One of the common causes of empire collapse is military overspending, which shifts resources from several other sectors of an economy and channel to single industry cluster. Look how much the US has spent in endless wars only in the last 25 years in name of “security” and now we live in a far unstable world. Read Paul Kennedy’s Rise and Fall of the Great Powers and Gibbon’s The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire, classics that support my view.

[@pablononescobar]

@@ResetToZero3210 You still did not question my main point: a government's primary role is security, not to subsidize the living expenses of its citizens. Rome's welfare system (the "cura annnonnae," or grain dole) was a cynical attempt by elites to buy off the masses; it's conquests reshaped culture to the present. And you focus on the "fall" of what could be called the Classical Roman Empire. The Eastern Empire survived for another thousand years. Its welfare system was outsourced to the Church, monasteries and such, while the State was largely centered on the military (understandable, given it was surrounded by Goths, Bulgars, Arabs, Turks, Crusaders, etc.). It fell, not to military "overspending," but to infighting. Indeed, the great defeat at Manzikert came about after years of REDUCED military spending. (See the works of John Julius Norwich for a good narrative of Byzantine history.) And while I grant you that not all military spending ends up useful, the massive investments the US made in WW2 proved most useful. Why has there been peace in Western Europe for 80 years, after centuries of rivalry among Britain, France, and Germany (for most of that time, Prussia and/or the Habsburgs)? Because there last spat in 1939 ended in a decisive victory--for the US, which then corralled them into an anti-Soviet alliance. By the time that threat collapsed, the three nations had gotten so used to cooperating that the idea of a geopolitical rivalry among them was all but extinct. America's investment in the Navy in particular in WW2 defeated Japan, turning it into a base from which the US could box in Russia's only significant Pacific port, Vladivostok, and turn the Pacific into an American lake, safe for international trade. And what of the detriment to investment that comes from taxing the earnings of those who are young and still in the workforce, and redistributing to the non-working older generations?

[@SandfordSmythe]

SS is independent of the federal budget. You want to turn it into a welfare program?

[@pablononescobar]

@@SandfordSmythe It is independent of the annual appropriations process, but that does not make it outside the "budget," or more appropriately, outside the bundle of money the federal government spends in a year. Social Security and Medicare taxes are included in overall federal revenue, alongside individual income taxes, and SS spending is counted alongside all other federal expenditures. Who categorizes them this way? The US Treasury Department. (See fiscaldata.treasury.gov/americas-finance-guide/). And SS already IS a welfare program--it's not defense spending, it's not highway spending, it's spending directly related to people's livelihood--their welfare. Constitutionally, it falls under Congress's power to collect taxes for spending on the "general welfare of the United States." US Const. Art. I, sec. 8. But Constitutionally permissible does not meant fiscally advisable.

[@ceconk123]

It's almost as if the rich needs to be taxed properly.

[@Sequaloid]

we are taxed properly on realized assets

[@joshua511]

Define "properly".

[@vitormv]

But you are never gonna heart that from media called “Wall Street Journal”

[@thaisbakker6846]

Taxing the rich properly won't fix Capitalism. You can tax them all you want, they'll get that money somewhere else, it's been 300 years, how slow are these people? Like, really slow.

[@JTmoney1029]

It's almost as if social security is a Ponzi scheme. FTFY

[@user-zu5do6ri6r]

It's almost like Social Security wasn't supposed to be around this long.

[@Cwgrlup]

“Borrowing” our social security is the equivalent of stealing our future.

[@AndreaDoesYoga]

A scary prospect for our economy, stay informed everyone! 💡

[@benitabussell5053]

The current economy is unnecessarily tougher for boomers/senior citizens, I’m used to just buying and holding assets which doesn’t seem applicable to the current rollercoaster market plus inflation is catching up with my $2M portfolio. I’m really worried about survival after retirement.

[@RickWatson-xu6gw]

You should hire a CFP to help you diversify your assets to include ETFs/index funds/mutual funds and stocks of companies with consistent cash flows, rather than betting on penny stocks.

[@A_francis]

Opting for an inves-tment advisr is currently the optimal approach for navigating the stock market, particularly for those nearing retirement. I've been consulting with a coach for a while, and my portfolio has surged by 85% since 2022

[@benitabussell5053]

Please can you leave the info of your lnvestment advsor here? I’m in dire need for one

[@A_francis]

*Sharon Lynne Hart* is the licensed advisor I use. Just search the name. You’d find necessary details to work with to set up an appointment.

[@sndchamp9949]

They made their beds definitely don’t say it’s “harder”

[@chancellorasher9417]

Can we just opt out??

[@thedopplereffect00]

That would be my choice. Full refund with interest and I could retire today, not decades from now

[@franciscodanconia4324]

@@thedopplereffect00I’d let them have my existing contributions and 100% opt out of any future benefits just to be able to keep my 6.3% going forward. I could make a nice nest egg over the next 20 years with it.

[@thedopplereffect00]

@@franciscodanconia4324 it's actually 12.6%, your employer could give you their half too

[@franciscodanconia4324]

@@thedopplereffect00 nah the employer half would still be paid in to cover at least some of the payments to current retirees and those close to retirement.

[@SeanMac1776]

If the the fund was left alone there wolud be a surplus to take on the influx of retirees.

[@gazjaz2010]

right, this is why you DON'T tax the workers, and DO tax assets

[@ThistainByrthle]

Most people miss it but the secret to retiring comfortably is finding a way to make returns while your money works for you. My Dad, as i remember started saving for retirement quite late but I know he was making more than 10k returns from his investments monthly and it was completely passive.

[@valeriejeanmathis874]

This is amazing, I'm curious, how did he do it? Was it real estate? Or he was a market enthusiastic?

[@ThistainByrthle]

Haha, investing enthusiast? Not really. Our family got introduced to a financial consultant about four years before my dad retired. That was what changed things, and I think my retirement will be on the right track.

[@gabrielbruhnr]

Please could you guide me on how to get in touch with your consultant? My funds are being eroded by inflation and I seek a more lucrative investment strategy to effectively utilize before I consider retirement

[@gabrielbruhnr]

impressive, I'll definitely check it out, I buy the idea of employing the services of a financial consultant because finding that balance between saving and living requires counsel. Who do you work with ?

[@gregorridavichko]

No doubt being financially free and not having to worry much about health care and other expenses after retirement cannot be overemphasized, making smart plans and setting up diversified investment portfolios is quite essential.

[@cautiousoptimist1926]

It's been clear for some time that the only options were to lower the benefits, devalue the currency, or both. I'm expecting both. I'm retired and I've prepared as well as I can. What they choose to do is beyond my control just as it has always been. My government has only rarely done things that I approve of regardless of who is in charge. It's not the boomers versus the generations that followed us. It's the 1% versus the rest of us just as it has always been

[@screes620]

I remember my dad telling me how social security was going to run out in the 80's, and then the 90's, and then the 2000's, and then the 2010's. People have been talking about how social security is going to run out for decades now, and it never does. This is a non issue.

[@ArchesBro]

The real issue is these billionaire owned media outlets trying to convince people social security needs to be cut. Look at how much propaganda is hidden in this video, where they pretend US population is declining when the opposite is true due to high numbers of illegal immigrants, who dont get to withdraw anything from social security anyway

[@marvinmallette6795]

Yeah, me too. I spend some time digging into the matter. Turns out that the baby boom resulted in extra funds coming into the Social Security program, funds that were more than enough to achieve the 78% replacement income the program sought for retirees. So they wanted to invest this money for future generations. Investing in stocks didn't seem wise. The stock market could crash. Also, that would grant the government a seat at the shareholders table of many companies. Maybe not suitable for a free society. Investing in Treasury Bonds seemed like a good alternative. They were seeing good returns, and were considered a more stable investment than stocks. It might work for creating a "perpetual motion machine" that prints money, right? What could go wrong? It isn't like Treasury Bonds were going to be a tax to be paid by millennials, that would just increase the size of the Social Security fund for Boomers, is it? We could be allocating funds directly to Social Security, with accurate accounting. Or we could continue to go through Treasury Bonds with all of the chaos and confusion and anxiety about insolvency that comes with such designs. I say let it run out, and lets focus on how to deal with fluctuations in childbirths, "baby booms" and "aging populations". On how we should set Social Security taxes on the working class, for a healthy economy. On what retirement age is practical.

[@July.4.1776]

Same here social security will be around forever…. Everyone worrying about what’s going to happen in 2034…. Congress is not worried they will make a slight adjustment in the final hour…..

[@wrwagoner]

All I have to say is that I have been paying into this for 60 years and I EXPECT that I should be able to get my money back!! It's not the American people's fault that this is a mess. CONGRESS, you NEED to fix this and ensure MY money is still there for me!!

[@j.503]

Yeah, the Wall Street Journal's take on Social Security is a trustworthy one, riiiight.

[@bijan-f]

Yea maybe if billion/trillion dollar corporations weren't allowed to pay $0 in taxes, then we wouldn't be in this situation.

[@thedopplereffect00]

So if they don't make any money one year, how do you expect them to pay taxes?

[@bigdog8008]

Yet Again... businesses don't pay taxes. When their taxes go up, they become 'tax collectors' and pass the costs to their customers --> *YOU*. Why is this so hard for many people to understand?

[@Sjalabais]

Every developed nation is facing this very same problem in each their own flavour. A half-developed, nastily human-unfriendly place like the US, with barely alive geriatric politicians - concerned with identity politics - doesn't look like it's ready to handle this though...

[@lylecosmopolite]

The wage ceiling on the FICA tax that finances Social Security, should be raised from US$169K (2024 reality) to US$400K. OASDI benefits should be fully taxable. The young generation must be warned that retiring without an owned residence creates grave risks. Using a tax deferred retirement account to buy a retirement home, or to clear the mortgage on the home one lives in at the time of retirement, should be allowed.

[@GardenerEarthGuy]

If they stop giving social security to young people who don't want to work, probably be okay.

[@teehasheestower]

Who wants to bet we pay for this with debt? again.

[@peterbedford2610]

Yup. US gov borrows over $1T/year. Has $34T in debt. Pays ~$500B/year in interest alone. More money must be borrowed

[@franciscodanconia4324]

We already are paying for it with debt.

[@marvinmallette6795]

We're paying for a surplus, with debt, and the solution we are expecting is to pay for that debt with more debt. Debt just being taxes. So we are planning to tax generations upon generations for the crime of the US having a baby boom.

[@dementeduncle]

Raise the wage cap on Social Security taxes. Let the high-income earners save the program. We boomers will vote for it, we're retired.

[@ISpitHotFiyaa]

The high income earners are already saving the program. Social Security is a giant ripoff for anyone earning above the second breakpoint ($7078/mo). They should move the cap down to that point.

[@bigdog8008]

That won't affect anything.

[@July.4.1776]

@@bigdog8008… It certainly would with the way the bend points are designed compared to the tax withholding above the current cap.

[@nunyabidniz2868]

The solution has been known for decades: allow the SSA to invest a portion of the trust fund, so that is no longer a pure Ponzi scheme. The whole reason why it didn't do this from the beginning is because when it was created, there were still too many bitter memories of the 1929 crash, and not a long enough track record for the knowledge that over time the stock market always regains the losses to become accepted.

[@tronowolf]

Advertising revenue needs the highest tax rate. It doesnt contribute any value to the future as a whole anymore.

[@cko-]

Its fairly simple: tax the rich, tax corporations, tax financial transactions and push the cash into social security.

[@rmenchoachupicachu]

No social security is a doomed system from the start. It's literally a ponzi scheme way down

[@ladedalounge]

Nice....add that problem to year 2024...scrolling along now

[@completelybraindead]

Pro tip: don't rely on the government for jack, build your retirement savings yourself while you're able bodied.

[@jimshoe402]

Right in-law just passed Agent Orange @ 74. His Dad was 92 😝😝😝

[@BitTheByte]

Low wages, high cost of housing and food. What money?

[@xiphoid2011]

Even when I started saving in 401k in the 2000s, I never expected social security to be there when I retired. Now I'm not worried at all. Taking personal responsibility of personal finances, being frugal and diversified investing with 401K/Roth IRA/HSA, I can retired right in my 40s if I wasn't planning to pay my 3 kids' colleges. It's "The Ants and the Grass Hopper" story I was taught and also read to my children, yet somehow still ignored by so many adults.

[@Me-eb3wv]

Smart. I’m tryna be like you, invest as much as I can and be as frugal while still living comfortably

[@petewilcox3354]

You realize we have been paying into ss our entire working lives xiphoid2011??? That's my damned money, I earned and was paid by ME and all wage earners

[@theimpactx9387]

Yeah. Half of those at or approaching retirement haven’t saved for retirement is an incredible statistic. I have very little sympathy for those who soley rely on it to survive in retirement. Maybe too many were counting on pensions and that’s just “how it was”, but I don’t think younger generations are too different.

[@DanielThomas-kb8wl]

Great video, thanks for sharing it!

[@Subject82]

Wealthy people with six figure salaries don't need social security. Keep it only for the working class.

[@HomersIlliad]

We can always adjust the ceiling for the payroll tax, or apply it to capital gains.

[@samanthajones4877]

If the US can print unlimited money to pay for foreign aid and the military, then how would printing money to pay for social security be any different?

[@FamilyManMoving]

@@user-kh8mv2be8t Meh, a quibble: the US spends more of its GDP on defense than nearly every other nation on Earth. We also have more GDP, so that's a LOT more money. But yes, even if it is not a drop in the bucket, it's not a huge portion of the bucket. Social programs are the biggest factors, and growing.

[@peterbedford2610]

Yes. As the Fed will enable ever greater debt. Money will be paid....it just won't buy nearly what it used to..

[@todoldtrafford]

The USA also spends most on education and second most on education per pupil. Should we cut that next ?

[@franciscodanconia4324]

Well inflation would skyrocket for one thing. Which would mean higher COLA each year for social security, which means printing more money, and so the circle would go.

[@steven8148]

aging population + longer life expectancy + low birth rate + strict immigration policy= time bomb

[@CristianmrWuno]

Strict immigration policy while having 12 million immigrants imported in a year and making several state call for emergency state because they are overflooded by poor immigrants? Is that brain ok?

[@ArchesBro]

You think US population is declining? Its not even close because of extreme amounts of illegal immigration. So your theory falls flat on its face

[@ArchesBro]

@@CristianmrWuno I would be a little more careful and just mention the number of immigrants per year that stay. There is no way 12 million new immigrants come in every year so your number makes no sense

[@BeigeBrownClip-jd2pv]

Make the rich pay into social security too. Close all tax loopholes.

[@bigdog8008]

Do you think they don't pay into social security? No doubt they pay more into FICA than you do. But if you raise the threshold for what they put into it then by law, they also take out more money when they take money back out. Net gain = zero. As far as tax loopholes - a lot should be done to completely rewrite the tax code to make it more fair (not just "eat the rich"). Neither political party wants to do that.

[@July.4.1776]

@@bigdog8008… Removing the cap would help as the high earners are in the third bend point…… This allows them a slight benefit increase while also paying more into the system.

[@shannoncraig6943]

We could start by cutting congressional salaries by %80 to save on government expenses.

[@scipioafricanus4875]

Detailed explanation for what's going on thanks

[@TemplarOnHigh]

I'm in my late 30's now. I'm the kind of nerd that read these problems 20 years ago and extrapolated forward. I've assumed for 20 years that SS benefits will be cut for me and I will get to pay higher taxes for the Boomers. It's bad, but there you go.

[@alexandrugheorghe5610]

And what have you done in preparation?

[@TemplarOnHigh]

@@alexandrugheorghe5610 uhm. Made money and saved it. But that doesn't fix a systemic problem.

[@alexandrugheorghe5610]

@@TemplarOnHigh did you invest?

[@joshua511]

You shouldn't expect higher taxes. The recipients should expect lower benefits.

[@TemplarOnHigh]

@@joshua511 This is America. Seniors vote. I tried to get all my friends to read Bowles-Simpson when it came out. No 20-something I could find cared.

[@Unfiltered-gb8vh]

Well, the people who are voted in office and work hard for our money need to put this on the table! The USA has outsourced millions of jobs all over the world. In the early 80’s there was a Welfare to Work program enacted to make people that are fully capable of working enter the workplace. Training Centers were set up to help people acquire skills needed to improve employment opportunities. And here we are in the 2024 and you can go into large communities in New York. Boston, Chicago, Philadelphia etc and there they sit on a stoop with a cigarette in one hand, can of beer in the other waiting for the Welfare Benefits so they can take an early nap! So now the people that worked hard all their lives, paid taxes, and social security get hung out to dry….