With the stock market crash, isn't it a good thing we didn't privatize Social Security?

[Jeff M]

Try this : for each year you've worked, take the amount of social security tax you paid, and double it. (employers pay an amount equal to the amount you did)

Multiply that amount by the interest paid on a money market, cd, or govt treasury bonds. These are very safe investments.

for each year, add twice your SS contributions, and calculate the interest, adding it all together.

I think you'll find that you could be retiring as a millionaire, instead of expecting a pittance every month, which the govt. can only afford to pay you, if they keep printing loads of money, thus making your pittance worth even less. Also, if you died before using it all, your family would have the rest.

A better investment mix would include some stocks, which are a good hedge against inflation - their value increases as products become more expensive. For me, a lot of my contributions would have been made before the S&P crossed 250 (1986) or 500(1995). I'd still be well ahead, even though contributions over the last 8 years would be at higher prices than current value.

Also, lets consider the effects on the economy, if more retirement money was invested in productive business, instead of the vast wasteland of useless or counterproductive government programs.

And consider the impact on govt. spending, if they did not finance it by looting the SS "lockbox", or by selling endless bonds - thus expecting that future workers will pay for them.