Income SecuritySocial Security I

http://www.c-spanvideo.org/program/185324-2 2005 State of the union

23:17min The Problem

28 min – 33:20 various solutions proposed (30 min voluntary personal retirement accounts)

Buffer This at start of Lecture

Income Security

Two Types of Benefits1. Cash

2. In-Kind (Food Stamps, Nutrition Programs, Housing Assistance)

Income Security Two types of eligibility

determination1. means-tested programs

not based on prior payment into a fund but on need --income and resources

TANF, SSI (means, age and disability)

http://www.lib.rochester.edu/camelot/RH/rhhome.stm

Income Security

2. insurance-based programs available to people who paid, typically

through payroll deductions, into the funds that maintain these programs.

Social security, workers compensation, unemployment insurance

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Three_Musketeers

Social Security

Social Security for Kids Social Security helps people help themselves! People work and give a little money to Social

Security When some people get so sick that they can't work

they get money from Social Security. When people get older and don't work anymore,

they can get money from Social Security. When people die, their family can get money from

Social Security. http://www.ssa.gov/people/kids/assets/sounds/pigfin.wav piggy bank

To Qualify for Social Security Retirement age = 65 to 67 depending on

when born (see next page) Reduced Benefit age = 62 If delay until 70, receive special credit

for each month between 65 and 70 that do not receive benefits.

http://www.ssa.gov/people/kids/assets/sounds/cardfin.wav social security card

http://thewidowsjourney.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/2014-BlackRock-Social-Security-Reference-Guide.pdf

http://thewidowsjourney.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/2014-BlackRock-Social-Security-Reference-Guide.pdf

http://www.lpl-swmi.com/PDF/SS%20Retirement%20Benefits%202012.pdf

http://www.lpl-swmi.com/PDF/SS%20Retirement%20Benefits%202012.pdf

Social Security for Kids http://www.ssa.gov/kids/#ht=2

“Piggy Bank” and “Social Security Card”

Others show rationale behind social security.

Did Spending on Medicare growing each year since the 1950’s?

1937 began collecting Social Security taxes

•Social Security•Began with Social Security Act of 1935 to deal with the financial chaos of the Great Depression. •Paid retirement benefits to contributing workers

•1939 law changed to add survivors benefits•1940 began regular pension payments

1956 disability benefits added

False, Medicare did not exist until the 1960’s, also

it began to decline in 1996, in this chart.

Social Security Facts

Administered by the Social Security Administration (made independent from the DHHS in 1994) pays monthly benefits to retirees and people who are disabled

as well as a survivor’s benefit to families. It is a source of income for more than 44 million Americans

currently covers 96% of all jobs in the US (see slide 19) since 1975 benefits have been indexed for inflation through the

use of a Cost of Living Adjustment (COLA) the largest program in the federal government (accounts for nearly

24 cents of every federal dollar spent)Source: Rahm 2004

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Three_Musketeers

Devolution as Seen from the BudgetAuthor(s): C. Eugene Steuerle, Gordon Mermin

Other Availability: PDF |  Order Online |  Printer-Friendly Version Published: January 01, 1997

Citation URL: http://www.urban.org/url.cfm?ID=307034

•Funded by taxes collected under the authority of the Federal Insurance Contribution Act (FICA) enacted 1935. Look Familiar?

FICA tax is paid into three trust funds:1. OASI: the Federal Old-Age and Survivors Insurance

used to pay for retirement and survivor’s benefits (what is commonly referred to as “social security”)collects the bulk of the funds (10.7% of each employee’s gross wages)

2. DI: the Federal Disability Insurance trust fund

used to pay for benefits to the disabled(1.7% of each employee’s gross wages)

3. Medicare: helps pay for healthcare of elderly (2.9% of each employee’s gross wages)

payroll tax of 15.3% of gross wages (employee and employer each pay 7.65%)

the employer deducts 7.65 percent of the employee’s earnings, matches that amount, and sends it to the IRS. (self-employed pay the full amount)

The Post Standard, Sunday Feb 20, 2005 Page C-1

To qualify for Soc Sec: accumulate credits associated with your

social security number earn a maximum of 4 credits per year each year amount of earnings needed for a credit

rises as average earnings levels rise (i.e. in 2001 $830 paid into the fund earned 1 credit

toward future benefits – in 2012 it is $1,130, now its $1,200)

the # of credits required for benefits varies by age and the type of benefits claimed

for most taxpayers it takes 40 credits (approx. 10 years of work) to qualify for retirement benefits.

Source: Rahm 2004

To qualify for Soc Sec:

Not everyone earns credits many federal and state

employees not included also excluded: railroad workers,

children <21 who work in their parents’ business

Source: Rahm 2004

The Social Security Benefit Benefits vary by how much you pay into the

fund Typically, receive benefits that approximate

40% of your average lifetime earnings. Since your wages typically are lower at your

first job and then grow, your average lifetime earnings are almost certainly lower than your earned income over the last few years of working

Source: Rahm 2004

The “Three-Legged Stool” 1. Social Security

2. Private Pension

3. Personal Savings and Investment

Unfortunately many over-rely on Soc Sec

–Source: Devroye 2003

Sources of Income Among those Aged 65-69 (1994)Other, 4

Earnings, 33

Employer Pensions,

18

Income from Other

Assets, 15

Social Security,

31

Quinn 1998

Sources of Income Among those Aged 75-79 (1994)

Social Security, 48

Earnings, 8

Employer Pensions, 20

Income from Other Assets,

20

Other, 4

Quinn 1998

Approaching the root of today’s problems…Building towards the question of: What do you think we should do about social security?

The Present Configuration Defined-benefit pension:

Can compute the benefits you will receive based on payments you make when you are working

An Alternative: defined contribution where you would make specific payments now

and your benefits would depend on how the stock market performed

–Source: Devroye 2003

The Present Configuration Pay-as-you go plan

The payroll taxes paid by today’s workers and their employers are used mostly to fund benefits for today’s retirees.

–Source: Devroye 2003

http://www.urban.org/Template.cfm?Section=ByAuthor&NavMenuID=63&template=/TaggedContent/ViewPublication.cfm&PublicationID=8216

The Post Standard, Sunday Feb 20, 2005 Page C-1

http://www.c-spanvideo.org/program/185324-2

2005 State of the union

23:17min The Problem

28 min – 33:20 various solutions proposed (30 min voluntary personal retirement accounts)

So what is the problem?