http://democrats.senate.gov/ss/calc.html#


the social insecurity plan that buchcheney inc. is proposing looks like it'll cost me a good 4G per year after retirement, how's it figure for the rest of you guys?

 

This calculator is misleading. It makes it seem like the return for Bush's column is the final return. I'm pretty damn sure that's the return guaranteed if you didn't touch your earnings.

Does this calculator factor in 2018 till 2042 and beyond? I didn't think so. I typed 2002 as my DOB and 80k. Assuming this is what my nephew could make, he'd have to be among the ~70% of guaranteed people for Social Security by 2042 and would have to retire by the time he was 39 (at which point he probably wouldn't be able to touch his money anyways). The calculator didn't have any pop-up window that made this clear whatsoever. This isn't going to happen unless he's a pro-athlete or Real Estate guru. At which point Social Security wouldn't be a very big factor he'd be losing sleep over anyways. This is why the final, guaranteed return for the Bush margin is lower in that calculator. Something has to give in order equally distribute funds past 2042.

My point is that the current system blows and will inevitably crumble. The current plan is not as promising as this calculator and supporting Dems make it out to be. Not in the slightest. If anything, the skies the limit in regard to overall net return for Bush's plan. This calculator obviously fails to mention the infinite possibilities with the money you're allowed to invest. Unfortunately for some, luck has the tendency to swing both ways in regard to investing which seems to be the only major downside to Bush's plan.

I'll have to tip my hat to social-dems on this one... they were on the right track regarding Social Security but they failed to cover all their bases in providing a good, long term plan. Obviously. It's just too bad that they didn't implement a plan that allowed people to have their cake and eat it too.

I think the Bush plan is slightly better in the respect because it allows you to do this. The problem is that Social Security was designed in order to provide guranteed money. Money that you didn't have to worry about till it was time to collect. You can still do this, but as the calculator shows, your cut will be smaller as a result of inactivity. The only amount of interest anyone has ever had in Social Security is how much of their pay is going toward it and if they're going to ever see it.

My only true long-term concern is carelessness, laziness and the combination of the two from certain individuals. I can picture more people on the streets years from now but I can also see more people driving expensive cars past them.

 

It's just money.

 

Salty,

You mention the limitless possibilites for investing but aren't you limited to certain avenues of investment that bush's social security plan chooses for you?