54 year old tells me he won't get Social Security if Romney is Elected.

Originally posted by Sissel

Originally posted by Destinyone
Interesting and timely thread for my question. This year puts me in the official SS claim age, for early retirement, that is.

I've been receiving notices from SS, practically begging me to file for early retirement, which I won't, as it would be much less than if I wait for full retirement age. Why should I file for early retirement, and lose all those benefits I've spent my whole life paying into. I'm working for myself now, and don't need to file, yet the letters extolling the benefits of early retirement keep coming. Is anyone else getting pressured to take the ding with early retirement? Why would SS even be pushing this concept.


Des

Hmmmm, in the link I provided it says the average age for retirement is going to be around 66. I knew my Dad took early retirement in the late 80's at 62, and that he later regretted it, even though an early retirement was best for him at the time due to health issues.

Any way you can scan your letter and post it here without your personal information?

All those letters ended up in the bottom of my shredder...looking very much like something you'd see in the bottom of an Easter basket.....

I'm an avid shredder of any paper that has personal information about me on it....

Sorry....Des

Originally posted by newcovenant

Originally posted by beezzer
reply to post by Valhall

 

I have always considered social security just another way for the government to determine where you live, what you eat, drink, buy, by how much they "allot" back to you.

I'd be giddy if they stopped taking social security!

edit on 4-11-2012 by beezzer because: (no reason given)

And many other people feel the same way as you do Beez.

In fact we have tried that way in the past but it resulted in a little problem.

At the end of a generation or two you have this seemingly never ending supply of old people cluttering up the streets and dying in the gutters because they squandered everything and now they have no place to go and certainly nobody wants them.

This is a way to assure a minimum of basic care that they pay for themselves during their working lives.

Other wise you end up with an abundance of elderly starving, destitute and dying... littering the open areas where the children play. Damned if you do and damned if you don't. SS turns out to be practical, cost effective and humane.

edit on 4-11-2012 by newcovenant because: (no reason given)

Here's an idea: don't squander it. Take that 6% that the government garnishes from your wages and save it, invest it, hell, put it in a mason jar and bury it under the outhouse. It should be yours to save or even squander if you wish to.

/TOA

Originally posted by jimmiec
I'm 55 and was always told i would never see it. As it stands it can not be sustained. SS needs an overhaul to keep it going. Personally i will never file for SS. I'm not rich by any stretch of the imagination but i just figure it took care of my grandparents and parents so thats where the money they took out of my checks went.

Nothing is changing in your lifetime. You are not affected either way. It is people born today who may need to start their own trust funds or elect their own savings plan...

but if someone chooses not to save
is society obligated to care for them or can we allow them to expire when they have run out of resources?

I think it was this heavy sense of humanity and compassion when faced with this difficult question in the past that saw our way to creating the SS program in the first place. I am sure though if we took a poll today's Americans would not mind watching old folks struggle, or even risk struggling themselves - if it meant saving a few of their own dollars right now. So you are completely right that it is outdated and perhaps cumbersome but, many still feel it is the right thing to do.

Originally posted by Destinyone


I've been receiving notices from SS, practically begging me to file for early retirement, which I won't, as it would be much less than if I wait for full retirement age. Why should I file for early retirement, and lose all those benefits I've spent my whole life paying into. I'm working for myself now, and don't need to file, yet the letters extolling the benefits of early retirement keep coming. Is anyone else getting pressured to take the ding with early retirement? Why would SS even be pushing this concept.


Des

Hey, don't blame you one bit. Remember when they used to send out letters projecting what your income would be from SS? I got displaced from Katrina, and had to send a letter to the IRS saying I was displaced from Katrina and didn't have a permanent address for a while....in 2005 I had also received a letter stating what my expected draw was.....from SS.

Needless to say, after a few years I sent a letter to both, the IRS, and SS. Was told my refund from the IRS was no longer valid, because I didn't have a valid address, and that the letters projecting SS was discontinued.....

Dammit, the IRS owes me over $500.00 I will never see!

Social security by itself is almost self funding, and could be fixed fairly easily to be fully funded.

But that doesn't matter, it is not it's own entity, it is part of the whole federal budget, it is not immune to budget deficits.

An article that says don't worry social security is safe is disinformation to keep seniors, and the older population asleep because they are the voters for the most part, and the politicians don't want to answer questions that have no answers that would make people happy.

It's easier for the politicians, and it's easier for the population to believe there is no problem, but that doesn't make it the truth.

What level of moron must anyone be to believe ANYTHING any of the candidates say? Has a man after 54 years not noticed that nothing ever changes when the president does? People are dolts.

reply to post by Sissel


Wow...sorry to hear that. What's interesting, in the letters, was a SS url to led to claiming for early retirement. I clicked on it, and read it to see what they were pushing.

After meandering around the complex SS site, actually being led around it based on what I had clicked....I decided...nope not interested. Then I got an email, very shortly from an SS agent, wanted to set up a telephone appt with me to file for early retirement! It all seemed too screwy to me....declined the offer.

I thought maybe they wanted to get as many filing for SS to boost some numbers for some reason...IDK...it was strange, at best...

Des

Originally posted by Sissel

Originally posted by Destinyone


I've been receiving notices from SS, practically begging me to file for early retirement, which I won't, as it would be much less than if I wait for full retirement age. Why should I file for early retirement, and lose all those benefits I've spent my whole life paying into. I'm working for myself now, and don't need to file, yet the letters extolling the benefits of early retirement keep coming. Is anyone else getting pressured to take the ding with early retirement? Why would SS even be pushing this concept.


Des

Hey, don't blame you one bit. Remember when they used to send out letters projecting what your income would be from SS? I got displaced from Katrina, and had to send a letter to the IRS saying I was displaced from Katrina and didn't have a permanent address for a while....in 2005 I had also received a letter stating what my expected draw was.....from SS.

Needless to say, after a few years I sent a letter to both, the IRS, and SS. Was told my refund from the IRS was no longer valid, because I didn't have a valid address, and that the letters projecting SS was discontinued.....

Dammit, the IRS owes me over $500.00 I will never see!

The SS letters didn't say ever what your income would be.
They don't speculate and neither does the IRS. You probably got a mailing from some borrowing scam.
They tell you what your income is and what you have saved toward retirement in the SS program.
$500? You'll get that back your first month on social security. Others are paying for you. I don't see what is your complaint?


Edit: Yeah they did?
Show me. Pics or it didn't happen.

reply to post by jimmiec


I say let me decide where my money goes, and how it should be invested. WHY should the Government keep its hand in my pocket? Especially all my life?

Originally posted by TruthSeekerMike
What level of moron must anyone be to believe ANYTHING any of the candidates say? Has a man after 54 years not noticed that nothing ever changes when the president does? People are dolts.

You're a people.

reply to post by newcovenant


No, they did. They gave a projected monthly pay-out, they sure did. And they gave it for early retirement as well as working until the reitrement age. Yep, yep...they did.

Originally posted by sonnny1
reply to post by jimmiec

 

I say let me decide where my money goes, and how it should be invested. WHY should the Government keep its hand in my pocket? Especially all my life?

So we are not stuck with your sorry arse when you blow it all drinking and gambling.

Originally posted by The Old American

Originally posted by newcovenant

Originally posted by beezzer
reply to post by Valhall

 

I have always considered social security just another way for the government to determine where you live, what you eat, drink, buy, by how much they "allot" back to you.

I'd be giddy if they stopped taking social security!

edit on 4-11-2012 by beezzer because: (no reason given)

And many other people feel the same way as you do Beez.

In fact we have tried that way in the past but it resulted in a little problem.

At the end of a generation or two you have this seemingly never ending supply of old people cluttering up the streets and dying in the gutters because they squandered everything and now they have no place to go and certainly nobody wants them.

This is a way to assure a minimum of basic care that they pay for themselves during their working lives.

Other wise you end up with an abundance of elderly starving, destitute and dying... littering the open areas where the children play. Damned if you do and damned if you don't. SS turns out to be practical, cost effective and humane.

edit on 4-11-2012 by newcovenant because: (no reason given)

Here's an idea: don't squander it. Take that 6% that the government garnishes from your wages and save it, invest it, hell, put it in a mason jar and bury it under the outhouse. It should be yours to save or even squander if you wish to.

/TOA

We have tried this.
It doesn't work.

Next.

Originally posted by newcovenant

Originally posted by sonnny1
reply to post by jimmiec

 

I say let me decide where my money goes, and how it should be invested. WHY should the Government keep its hand in my pocket? Especially all my life?

So we are not stuck with your sorry arse when you blow it all drinking and gambling.

Which is his choice. Stop trying to force your morals or responsibility on others. That's how we got into this Social Security mess.

/TOA

reply to post by The Old American


Exactly...if I could dig Roosevelt up I'd slap the "New Deal" grin right off his sardonic face.

Originally posted by newcovenant


The SS letters didn't say ever what your income would be.
They don't speculate and neither does the IRS. You probably got a mailing from some borrowing scam.
They tell you what your income is and what you have saved toward retirement in the SS program.
$500? You'll get that back your first month on social security. Others are paying for you. I don't see what is your complaint?

..

You are wrong, and I still have some of them. They said what your projected income might be, not what it was actually going to be. And, no, this wasn't from some borrowing scam, because I called social security to verify it, each and every time I got one.

As for the $500.00...if you are not issued a refund right away, guess what? According to the IRS it's a donation to Uncle Sam.

I had to deal with SS just this year when applying for a job. Guess what? I showed up dead in the system. It's royally screwed with my life. How did this happen? Number one, the unclaimed refund from the IRS, and an abusive husband that reported me dead, because I vanished into a domestic violence program, where I was unable to share my address because of him being an ex-sheriff.

And how do I know that money will never be made available to me that I was entitled to by way of a refund? The IRS flat out told me so, and sent a letter saying so. They considered it a donation to the US.

So, think I will get that when I go to file for SS? You are wrong.

I get that my 4 children will be paying for me. I don't have a complaint with that, and didn't when I was paying for my parents, either.

To add:

Let this be a warning to anybody affected by Sandy....if Uncle Sam can't send you a refund, you have lost it.

Originally posted by newcovenant

Originally posted by The Old American

Originally posted by newcovenant

Originally posted by beezzer
reply to post by Valhall

 

I have always considered social security just another way for the government to determine where you live, what you eat, drink, buy, by how much they "allot" back to you.

I'd be giddy if they stopped taking social security!

edit on 4-11-2012 by beezzer because: (no reason given)

And many other people feel the same way as you do Beez.

In fact we have tried that way in the past but it resulted in a little problem.

At the end of a generation or two you have this seemingly never ending supply of old people cluttering up the streets and dying in the gutters because they squandered everything and now they have no place to go and certainly nobody wants them.

This is a way to assure a minimum of basic care that they pay for themselves during their working lives.

Other wise you end up with an abundance of elderly starving, destitute and dying... littering the open areas where the children play. Damned if you do and damned if you don't. SS turns out to be practical, cost effective and humane.

edit on 4-11-2012 by newcovenant because: (no reason given)

Here's an idea: don't squander it. Take that 6% that the government garnishes from your wages and save it, invest it, hell, put it in a mason jar and bury it under the outhouse. It should be yours to save or even squander if you wish to.

/TOA

We have tried this.
It doesn't work.

Next.

No, we haven't tried this. America has existed in two states of being: personally responsible for your own life, and extorted. It's time to go back to personally responsible.

/TOA

Originally posted by The Old American

Originally posted by newcovenant

Originally posted by sonnny1
reply to post by jimmiec

 

I say let me decide where my money goes, and how it should be invested. WHY should the Government keep its hand in my pocket? Especially all my life?

So we are not stuck with your sorry arse when you blow it all drinking and gambling.

Which is his choice. Stop trying to force your morals or responsibility on others. That's how we got into this Social Security mess.

/TOA

It is not forcing my morals on anyone it is human decency and cleanliness. Animals do it. Taking care of people when they can no longer do it themselves is human instinct. There are people without that instinct. You may even be one of them but believe it or not - They are few and far between.

Originally posted by newcovenant

Originally posted by sonnny1
reply to post by jimmiec

 

I say let me decide where my money goes, and how it should be invested. WHY should the Government keep its hand in my pocket? Especially all my life?

So we are not stuck with your sorry arse when you blow it all drinking and gambling.

Yawn.

Theres people doing that now, and have NEVER worked.............Never planning on investing in themselves.

WHY should I pay for them too?

Im sick of entitlement attitudes. To many people, using Government programs, as there ONLY escape hatch.

reply to post by The Old American


Correct, and if those who believe government should take care of EVERYTHING for them would listen, the proposed plan is that you would be required to set a percent of income back for your retirement. You could either opt in to a government administrated fund (i.e. a modified social security fund) or you could invest in a privately-administered retirement fund. But the choice would be yours. No one is saying go spend your retirement on booze and loose women, they are proposing we take back the ability to plan for our retirement the way we choose. We still have to save for it, but we have a choice.