Government

If You Need Social Security Checks Three Decades From Now, You Might Be in Trouble

Contrary to what many Democrats say, a new report from the Congressional Budget Office indicates funds for Social Security won’t bottom out until 2038 — nearly three decades from now.

Social Security Bottoms Out 2038

This means that the Social Security Trust Fund might then have to depend solely on payroll taxes to compensate those citizens who’ve been putting money into the system their whole working lives, and rely on the promised payments.

Of course, this is just a prediction and can be off – the graph above allows for some error. 80 percent of the simulations fall somewhere within the green stripe, meaning some predictions say the money could be available until around 2060 and others say it’ll be gone in less than 20 years.

The program will fall short by at least one percent GDP, according to the CBO’s presentation below, and that gap would increase over time.

Comments (70)

  • jzs
    Posted on August 6, 2011 at 11:25pm

    In thirty years Social Security will run out of money? Of course that prospect came up during the Reagan administration and he and Tip O’Neil solved it. Now we’re looking at Social Security running out of money in THIRTY YEARS?

    Hey, let’s just get rid of Social Security. Empower the individual to save for retirement like rich people do, as if they needed to. Of course the vast majority of Americans would never put away the half million or so needed to live on for the 20 years we Americans now live after retirement age. No, the half million figure isn’t an exaggeration, at lot more if we get rid of Medicare too.

    If you make 50K a year and think you might live into your 80s, are you are on track for socking away a half million?

    Of course you’re not. If you weren’t paying for SS, are you going to tell me you’d be putting that extra money in the band or investing it rather spending it? If so, congratulations, you’re awesome.

    But SS was enacted because most don’t. We could be a nation, like India, with Hooverviles of filled with thousands or millions of people living in cardboard shacks, and the elderly as well as the young begging on the streets.

    This country is better than that in my opinion.

    Report Post » jzs  
    • DarkFire
      Posted on August 6, 2011 at 11:40pm

      SS will run out now, SS will run out 20 years ago, SS will run out 16 years from now. I am sick of hearing it. Take a one time hit and have the Goverment buy out what they owe us! That way the bottom feeders can starve and i can have my money back for paying for their lazyness! The only people that should be getting any assistance from the goverment are the people who can’t work. ( and im not talking about the ones that say they can’t work ) I am talking about people who can’t feed themselves, crappp themselves, and have the IQ of a orange! ATTENTION – getting a headache cause your lazy doesn’t mean your disabled, having gas cause you ate a taco doesn’t mean your diabled. STOP SUCKING THE LIFE OUT OF AMERICA AND TAKE PRIDE IN OUR COUNTRY!!!!!!!!!

      Report Post »  
    • johnannegalt
      Posted on August 7, 2011 at 12:08pm

      SS has always been a ponzi scheme, unfortunately…

      “With each additional dollar borrowed by our government, to be expended on some program or project, there are at least two dollars’ worth of negative economic consequences to be witnessed in the economy. Firstly, that is a dollar you can no longer borrow to invest, build, create, or otherwise seek to create new wealth, because there are only so many dollars in existence, and you are competing with government to borrow them. Secondly, that dollar is then added to the total indebtedness of the government, and this can only result in a degrading of our credit rating and a spiraling cost of borrowing, or financing existing debt, not merely for government, but for all of us. Worst of all, two of three dollars expended by government now are paid directly into some person’s pocket, not including employees or politicians…..” cont. -MA

      http://markamerica.com/2011/08/05/blow-back-how-obamanomics-is-wrecking-the-country/

      This guy’s articles are great, he gets our economy and government, and writes well about both.. always refreshing.

      I don’t expect any S.S. check, nor do I want one.

      Report Post » johnannegalt  
  • Tretka
    Posted on August 6, 2011 at 11:02pm

    I went and out and found what is out on the internet of any substance from the government a few weeks ago. They publish reports. There are several outstanding loans, called something like “notes of repayment”. IOU’s I guess. The trust funds are flowing millions of dollars short. Not to mention, remember, and this has ALOT to do with the down grade;though they are not saying it, our Trust Funds are “invested” in Securities by the government. Securities have been taken several lashings through the years. They don’t really report the interest or capital gains to the Trust Funds from investments which I noted. Where’s the money? Anyway, while the reports don’t show what they used the money for, there are outstanding loans on the trust funds (if I am interpreting their vernacular correctly).

    Report Post » Tretka  
  • powhatan
    Posted on August 6, 2011 at 10:38pm

    If we do not get rid of ALL of the old heads and socialists up there..We and our children are doomed to a very sad life.

    Report Post » powhatan  
    • HD Veteran
      Posted on August 7, 2011 at 9:44am

      How true. No one seems to even acknowledge this angle. Spot on.

      Report Post » HD Veteran  
  • powhatan
    Posted on August 6, 2011 at 10:36pm

    FDR was evil….and it has spawned

    Report Post » powhatan  
  • retriever
    Posted on August 6, 2011 at 10:28pm

    Social Security and Medicare is the product of our government’s mandates. People accepted the government’s contract, and the promise that if the citizens contributed, out of THEIR paychecks, when the time came for them to retire, there would be funds to return their money, base on the government’s ability to honestly manage that money, and in fact make interest on that money.
    The government did not honestly manage the money, and they dipped into the funds and wasted it on the follies that the government gambled on.
    If the government did not want to start these programs, the citizens would have found other ways, with THEIR money. Now the government sees the error of their decision, and the dishonest way they managed the citizen’s funds, and they want to try to correct THEIR problem on the backs of the citizens who believed their government and subscribed to the contract. These politicians made no honest effort to correct the errors in the programs.
    While our elected ones argue about how to solve this problem, they now want to consider how to cut the funds that THEIR predicessors promised to the citizens, when those citizens were you and able to work and feed their families, MINUS THE FUNDS MANDATED BY THE GOVERNMENT. And they call these programs ENTITLEMENTS, as though these ENTITLEMENTS are shameful. This while present government workers earn top pay, and have top Health Entitlements. Stop counting citizens pennies, and start with government expenditures and

    Report Post »  
  • imreddog
    Posted on August 6, 2011 at 8:12pm

    How will Obama be remembered?
    A) First Black President.
    B) Only President to cause downgrade of U.S. credit rating.
    C) First Socialist President.
    D) The Most Stupid Individual To Ever Live In The White House.
    E) The ONLY Illegal Alien to act as President.
    F) The Most Prolific Liar to EVER act as President.
    G) The President that is married to the woman with the biggest a$$ in Washington.
    H) ALL OF THE ABOVE.

    Report Post »  
    • Morris
      Posted on August 7, 2011 at 10:51am

      Yes,Social Security is broke,I payed into SSI every week of my working life!
      The Gov. owes SSI TRUST FUND 2.6 TRILLION DOLLARS!
      Dictator Barack Hussein Obama and his Mexican-Muslim Loving Admin. are spending our SSI
      TRUST FUND money to keep,12-20 MILLION MEXICAN “ILLEGAL ALIEN INVADERS”,and
      Dictator Obama just signed a EXECUTIVE ORDER to bring 60,000 to 80,000 SOMALIAN
      MUSLIMS into our USA! (MORE PEOPLE FOR THE AMERICAN TAX PAYER TO KEEP)!

      America,This is were “WE THE PEOPLES”,SSI TRUST FUND MONEY is going to keep all of these
      Mexican “ILLEGAL ALIEN INVADERS” and all of the MUSLIMS that Dictator Obama keeps bring into our Country!
      “WE THE PEOPLE” Cannot afford to keep all of these people from all of the 3-rd world countries!
      “WE THE PEOPLE” DEMAND,Start to DEPORT all 12-20 MEXICAN “ILLEGAL ALIEN INVADERS”,
      STOP BRINGING MUSLIMS into our America,CLOSE ALL OF OUR BORDERS NOW!

      Lets start taking care of “WE THE PEOPLE” of THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA,The hell with
      the “ILLEGAL ALIEN INVADERS and MUSLIMS from all of these 3-rd world countries,Send them all back to were ever they came from NOW!

      “WE THE PEOPLE”,Must start PUSHING OUR CONGRESS TO IMPEACH DICTATOR BARACK HUSSEIN OBAMA,He and his CORRUPY ADMIN,are going all out to DESTROY THE USA!

      The “POLITICAL CORRECTNESS” BU– SH– Of this Obama Admin. is KILLING OUR AMERICA!

      Wake-up America,Lets save our Country!
      GOD BLESS AMERICA.

      Report Post »  
  • Jack2011
    Posted on August 6, 2011 at 7:39pm

    Socialism in America. Where businesses capitalize the profits and socialize their losses.

    All the money people were FORCED to give in SS was wasted on wars, Cowboy Poet outings, Pelosi personal military jet flying her back and forth to CA every weekend as speaker, charity to starving people around the world or to help them rebuild after earthquakes, floods, tidal waves and in a million other ways.

    All the ROAD TAXES we paid for years whenever we fill up for gas NEVER went to replace/repair our ancient dams, roads, highways but was spent on MORE pork projects or to bail out banks and other PRIVATE businesses.

    Now we look around America and see boarded up stores, cracked/patched pavements and decaying cities and towns WITH NO MONEY but a $15 TRILLION in debt NOW with TRILLIONS more in unfunded liabilities as 10,000 baby boomers RETIRE EACH DAY and expect that the money they were FORCED to pay into SS and medicare will be there for them.

    The USA needs to END ALL CHARITY and WAR MONEY TO FOREIGN COUNTRIES and start taking care of America.

    Report Post »  
    • 12 gauge
      Posted on August 6, 2011 at 8:03pm

      You mean the money I have been paying into SS for 40 years isn’t in a lock box?? The joke from central planning is on us…

      Report Post »  
    • Samantha3
      Posted on August 7, 2011 at 1:31pm

      Socialism in America. Where businesses capitalize the profits and socialize their losses.

      I love this line …. so true!

      Report Post » Samantha3  
  • moore428
    Posted on August 6, 2011 at 6:44pm

    What money are they refering to. It‘s ALL IOU’s. There isn’t ANY money NOW! Wake up people. This has been known about for forty years. Old people, look in the god-damned mirrior, it’s your fault. You did this to your children, grand-children and their grand-children!

    Report Post » moore428  
  • HTuttle
    Posted on August 6, 2011 at 6:20pm

    Just about the maximum of MY lifetime. Sucks to be the rest of you though.

    Report Post »  
  • ezeewhiz
    Posted on August 6, 2011 at 6:02pm

    If the Social Security Administration was just issuing checks to folks that have retired there would be no problem!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

    Report Post »  
    • godlovinmom
      Posted on August 6, 2011 at 9:50pm

      tell me about it, can’t tell you how many I know that are on ss disability, I have a sister inlaw that gets it, becuause she’s done drugs since she was old enough to walk, didn’t bother to learn to read or write, so now she gets a monthly check. Meanwhile her brother,my husband has been working for thirty years and will probably not get anything by the time he retires. Whats wrong with this picture?

      Report Post » godlovinmom  
    • Bill Rowland
      Posted on August 7, 2011 at 6:24am

      Know a woman who never filed a tax return. Worked as topless dancer/topless waitress, got paid in tips only. When she got to fat for that she applied for and got SSI for personality disorders. The governemnt furnishes her a computer, a cell phone and just built her a 3 bedroom house. All she has to do to get clear title is live there for 20 years. The place already looks like a garbage dump.
      She cleans rental properties for a couple of real estate agencies (paid in cash only) and rents out her spare bedrooms for $300 to $400 per month. All on our dime!!!

      Report Post »  
    • Samantha3
      Posted on August 7, 2011 at 1:33pm

      You nailed it there. I don’t hear any of our erstwhile D.C. nitwits calling for an audit of Social Security disability. Just another example of no accountability with government programs. When somebody files disability in workmen’s comp the private insurance administrators at least follow up at some point to see if they actually are disabled!

      Report Post » Samantha3  
  • IndyNWguy
    Posted on August 6, 2011 at 5:43pm

    The idea of keeping SS alive sickens me.

    Report Post » IndyNWguy  
  • dudeman4
    Posted on August 6, 2011 at 5:32pm

    Bernie Madoff probably had these kinds of charts.

    Report Post »  
  • Joisey
    Posted on August 6, 2011 at 5:24pm

    There isn’t even going to be a United States of America in 3 decades from now, never mind the SSI checks!

    Report Post » Joisey  
    • Jack2011
      Posted on August 6, 2011 at 7:32pm

      I agree.

      I think the USA will break up like the USSR did.

      Report Post »  
    • GOTT-EM-MAUSER
      Posted on August 6, 2011 at 11:42pm

      We are already “Breaking Up” as it were. The only thing still lacking is the SHTF gunfights that will be required to establish the various new Border Lines.

      Can’t come too soon.

      Report Post »  
  • TAKE_NO_PRISONERS
    Posted on August 6, 2011 at 5:03pm

    Ohhhh no!!!! say it ain’t so,they jimmied the lock on the lockbox and gave away our childrens future SS……This is not news,we knew that. But tell Barney Frank, I think he still believes the money’s still there. POOR FOOL.

    Report Post »  
    • 1TrueOne55
      Posted on August 6, 2011 at 5:19pm

      He thinks SS is a savings plan for the elderly when clearly FDR made it not so from the beginning. And if you believe that the money you put in is what you get back then you have believed the lie of the Progressive Party adherents. SS was never designed to pay out a dime, just look at the rules and statistics of the days when it was enacted, most seniors died before the age of 65 from heart attacks and strokes. So when money was taxed for SS they knew that it would never pay out in their minds. It was to be a revenue generator for the Progressive Idea of Society so that the Elites of those Days could live on money that was not theirs. And those Elites were the “Rich” of the day, they also created Planned Parenthood as a method to control population growth going forward. But the population they wanted to control was not the White race since they were the Rich and Educated of the Day.

      And in those days the Progressive Movement was filled with the Rich since the Progressive Plan was to save the upper crust of Society which at the time was more Republican than Democrat. But there was an awakening and the “People” voted against Progressive Candidates from both parties and elected more Conservatively and those were times of plenty for all.

      Progressives also wanted to tax the “upper” 2-5% of the country only with an Income tax on Stock dividends, the profits on the sale of property and those Evil Wall Street Bankers, the same excuses today for raising Taxes on the

      Report Post » 1TrueOne55  
  • poverty.sucks
    Posted on August 6, 2011 at 4:36pm

    Government doesn’t produce wealth. As a result of the United States Government authorizing 40-50 million abortions explains short falls in the Social Security program.

    Wealth comes from Labor.  When you stop the development of labor, you limit or cut off support.  

    Report Post » poverty.sucks  
  • sbenard
    Posted on August 6, 2011 at 4:28pm

    The “Trust Fund” is a fraud. It has nothing in it but US Treasuries! It is literally nothing more than a bunch of IOUs. All Americans must take immediate action to become self-reliant, without any dependence on government. One way or another, entitlements will be soon coming to an end!

    Report Post » sbenard  
  • lorgrom
    Posted on August 6, 2011 at 4:22pm

    Gen X’ers have known their whole tax paying life, they wouldn’t receive anything from social security, but will be required to pay more and more each year to fund it. Cold, simple reality, Thanks Baby Boomers, we love the gifts you have given us.

    Report Post »  
    • showmerancher
      Posted on August 6, 2011 at 4:27pm

      Hey, don’t thank us! We’d love to take the credit, but you need to thank your folks in Congress that started raiding the Social Security trust fund 20 years ago to make up the difference between what their budget was, and what they were really spending.

      Report Post »  
    • sbenard
      Posted on August 6, 2011 at 4:34pm

      I’m a Baby Boomer. I remember in college they were telling us the same thing — that there will be NO Social Security when we reach retirement age. I’ve planned accordingly my entire life, despite that I’ve been forced to pay into it! The programs were set up and sustained by the previous generation, not ours.

      Entitlements now consume ALL — every penny — of Federal revenue. We’re borrowing even our defense budget and the interest on our debt. And the debt downgrade is going to cost an additional $100 billion/year in interest alone.

      The whole thing is going to collapse within the next few years. Plan on it! It is as certain as that the sun will rise tomorrow.

      Report Post » sbenard  
    • moore428
      Posted on August 6, 2011 at 6:50pm

      Tail-enders have been taking it in the shorts since birth, way before Gen-Xers were a gleam in their mama’s eyes, so Gen-Xers you can quit crying anytime.

      Report Post » moore428  
    • GOTT-EM-MAUSER
      Posted on August 7, 2011 at 12:07am

      Well Gen-X, you really don’t have anything to worry about or cry about, but WHEN has that ever stopped you. The plain truth of the matter came from Alan Greenspan in an interview about this very subject. As he laid it out, “matter not what the Boomers did good or bad, the truth is that they were the best educated, most motivated and by far the most productive group of people to ever grace this planet. Now, on the other hand, what we see of the replacements for them, is a pretty ugly picture.” He does speak the truth, Jesus most of the Gen-Xers can’t even make change for a dollar, even when the machine tells you how much, you can’t figure out how many quarters, dimes, nickels, and pennies, to dig out of the drawer.

      The bottom line chucky is that you Gen-Xers ain’t got the class nor the weight to pick up the slack economically speaking, and all us Old Fart boomers are retiring and dying off at about 10,000 a day, so you won’t have anything but your PC Liberal Lazy Selfish, “SELVES” to pay for it all. And you get to support every lazy worthless disadvantaged minority leech being mass produced by the Feral People.

      Hell half of you work for the government or live off of Welfare, which is the same thing after all. Good luck with actually generating any Wealth that way. Now go “Gather some more Information to sell” and enter it into your computer, then punch the ENTER KEY and see just how much FOOD, or for that matter ANYTHING else usable comes out.

      Report Post »  
    • westy98530
      Posted on August 7, 2011 at 7:48pm

      @ the baby boomers, gen-x has a point: your generation has really messed this place up, although I don’t think that any boomers that read this site were likely part of the problem. Your generation brought us hippies, deconstructionism, and the most destructive government we’ve seen for a while.

      @ gen-x, the boomers have a point too: go cry me a river, it‘s what you’re best at.

      Meanwhile, the millenials, or gen-y, or whatever you want to call us will be saving both your rear endsas WE go off to fight our nations wars and stand up for truth and justice. The boomers and x-ers tried their best to raise us soft, but by and large it didn’t take. We’re mad as hell, and we‘re going to fix this mess you’ve made come hell or high water.

      Report Post »  
  • jim
    Posted on August 6, 2011 at 4:18pm

    Guess we‘ll working till we’re 90.

    Report Post » jim  
    • jim
      Posted on August 6, 2011 at 4:25pm

      Guess we‘ll BE working till we’re 90.

      Need my SS check already… Obama is causing early senility…

      Report Post » jim  
    • woemcat
      Posted on August 6, 2011 at 5:13pm

      if we can even get or keep jobs. i lost my retirement when my company booted me out on the so-called grounds they couldn’t afford to keep me (although i saw my job posted a few days ago).

      Report Post » woemcat  
    • 1TrueOne55
      Posted on August 6, 2011 at 5:27pm

      I have been saying that I would have to work until I died since the 1980′s. And back then I worked a Union Job with Boeing Commercial Aircraft, at that time my “living wage” was 12 -13 dollars an hour not including overtime which most of us had to to justify the budget of the group we worked in. The inflated the cost of building items needed for production and if they could stop that practice then they could have a cheaper product, but Unions will kill that company eventually because there are not enough “skilled” replacements out in the job market for the safety of the industry.

      This is where our education system is failing, they don’t build kids up for the jobs of the future they just create “Activists” that have no skills other than holding signs and screaming themselves hoarse.

      Report Post » 1TrueOne55  
    • GOTT-EM-MAUSER
      Posted on August 7, 2011 at 12:29am

      The Failure isn’t ONLY with the Education System, as much as it is a result of the Old Saying “GARBAGE IN GARBAGE OUT”. Just on the radio Friday, here in Texas the GovBots are all in a dither. Seems that the Hispanic population has grown to the point of being the MAJORITY, SOONER than expected. (Imagine that) And only 50% or so of them ever graduate from High School, much less College. Mostly girls that do make it, the Malo Macho Young Hispanic Males, on the other hand, VERY FEW make it. So the Socialists here are desperately calling for a “NEW METHOD” of imparting and Education to the Hispanic Population. Oh WHAT shall we do??

      Speaking from experience, the only hope is IF/WHEN, somebody figures out how to put a Masters Degree in a plastic bottle and hang it as an IV. Of course with just enough “Drug of Choice” to ease their pain.

      Our FUTURE WORKFORCE will be made up of the NEW AMERICANS. They don’t really want to be educated nor trained. Fact is, they really don’t want to work, however they do have Three Areas of Vital Interest, EFF. (EAT-FORNICATE-FIGHT) Now IF anyone can somehow create a connection between (Education/Training/Work) and (EFF) then all our problems will be solved.

      What are the odds?????

      Report Post »  
  • showmerancher
    Posted on August 6, 2011 at 4:16pm

    With Obama ready at a moment’s notice to withhold Social Security checks to those that paid in all their lives… and pay checks to his own military who are currently risking their lives… I’d be worried if I needed a check NEXT month!

    One would have thought there might have been some useless government agency, some group of government workers, some foreign aid, or grants or SOMETHING other than those two things that made the top of the list…. let’s see, military pay per month $2.8 Billion… veterans retirement & benefits another $2.8 Billion… Department of Education, $20 Billion… nope, I guess we cut off the checks for the folks getting shot at on the battlefield; we certainly wouldn‘t want to delay someone’s student loan.

    Report Post »  
  • mossbrain
    Posted on August 6, 2011 at 4:10pm

    In a few years a loaf of bread will cost $1000, so you’ll get your social security benefits and can go down to the store and buy your loaf of bread, that’s about all. Bon Apetite.

    Report Post » mossbrain  
  • nubl33t
    Posted on August 6, 2011 at 4:02pm

    the math is wrong…..simple its truely got a surplus till way after 2030s there is lots of workers who die before they get a cent and… the interest alone will keep it afloat past 2030 .

    trusting the cbo’s math is like trusting standards and poors

    Report Post » nubl33t  
    • 13th Imam
      Posted on August 6, 2011 at 4:12pm

      And Barry created one million jobs last month. The SS fund has been raided to fund the debt, pay for all the social program giveaways, pay the military, tarp, the stimulus, buy off all the Fed NON-Taxpayers (47%) for their votes, illegal alien scams, foreign aid, the university’s grant scams,

      Report Post » 13th Imam  
    • rojotx
      Posted on August 6, 2011 at 4:12pm

      Interest on what? Inquiring minds want to know?

      Report Post » rojotx  
  • dcwu
    Posted on August 6, 2011 at 3:58pm

    You may already be a loser.

    Report Post »  
  • tr68gt
    Posted on August 6, 2011 at 3:57pm

    I’ve known for a long time that this Ponzi scheme would collapse before I got the first dime from it. But I’m still required to pay into it…

    Report Post »  
    • nubl33t
      Posted on August 6, 2011 at 4:03pm

      a poni game is not a insurance plan… social security is insurance.. its over funded for what it pays out

      Report Post » nubl33t  
    • NOTALOTTAYITTAYADDA
      Posted on August 6, 2011 at 4:15pm

      LMFAO, my statement say “FICA TAX”, no mention of an insurance plan.

      IT’S A TAX, DON’T TRY TO SPIN IT ANY OTHER WAY!

      Report Post »  
    • The_Almighty_Creestof
      Posted on August 6, 2011 at 4:20pm

      I’m 52…so in 2024 I qualify (unless they’ve changed that too) so will enjoy 14 years of it.

      Got a funny feeling the ol‘ USA won’t be around by then though.

      Report Post »  
  • boston-rightwinger
    Posted on August 6, 2011 at 3:49pm

    Let’s be intellectually honest with the people. There is no Trust Fund. Beginning with the Johnson administration, the Federal Government has borrowed the money and it is gone. Part of the problem today with the general fund is that it will need to pay back the money borrowed and it is broke. Today it is a problem, not in 30 years. S&P was right, they are hiding in Washington and not facing the facts. Entitlements must be cut now.

    Report Post »  
    • godlovinmom
      Posted on August 6, 2011 at 4:24pm

      And when we do hear from washington, after president recoops from his birthday Party, they will blame the repubs…we’re in this mess because of all you guys!…agree..cut all those darn entitlements NOW, raising a nation of freeloaders is all we’re accomplishing. I’m not a big economics person, but it makes me mad that we’ve been downgraded. worst government ever.

      Report Post » godlovinmom  
  • StevenL1955
    Posted on August 6, 2011 at 3:45pm

    There won’t be any Soc Sec soon anyway, Obama will see to that unless he changes his ways and thinking

    Report Post » StevenL1955  

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