# Private Sector Solutions Part I: Social Security **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [February 13, 2010, 3:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/private-sector-solutions-part-i-social-security/528860 "2010-02-13T15:15:03Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 4\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![Voyager](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voyager/32/133_2.png) [@Voyager](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Voyager)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2010, 11:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/private-sector-solutions-part-i-social-security/528860/81 "2010-02-15T23:35:39Z")
> [@Perciful](#): > > I lost a lot in my 401 k and then in half when the stock market crashed. I don’t have much faith in private plans. Social Security is an excellent plan that was just badly abused by the government. It makes sense to me to have money taken out over my lifetime and placed in a government plan that will take care of me in my old age. We pay in more then we will use unless we live to be 100. > > The problem happened when the government started tapping into it to pay for wars and other things that they were unable to pay back. It wasn’t their money to play with and I’m unsure how they obtained access to it? > > What if they left Social Security alone and paid back what they took out of it and kept it in Gold reserves? Also that they made it a retirement account for the sole purpose of guaranteeing a retirement benefit to the people that paid in? No more borrowing from it just let it sit and make interest. Do you think the price of gold will never go down? Did you think the same thing about real estate prices? The fact is that Social Security money is invested in the world’s safest instrument, US treasury bills. If we get nuked or the country dissolves into anarchy we’re screwed, but besides that we’re probably pretty safe. As for how much you get back, you’ll probably do fine because of cost of living allowances. I need to estimate how long mine would last, if I invested it, but probably more than I’ll get because I’ve been pegged out at top payment for a long time, and so am paying for those less fortunate - which is fine with me. ---
**Author:** ![Perciful](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/b38774/32.png) [@Perciful](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Perciful)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2010, 3:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/private-sector-solutions-part-i-social-security/528860/82 "2010-02-16T03:15:09Z")
> [@Voyager](#): > > Do you think the price of gold will never go down? Did you think the same thing about real estate prices? > > The fact is that Social Security money is invested in the world’s safest instrument, US treasury bills. If we get nuked or the country dissolves into anarchy we’re screwed, but besides that we’re probably pretty safe. As for how much you get back, you’ll probably do fine because of cost of living allowances. I need to estimate how long mine would last, if I invested it, but probably more than I’ll get because I’ve been pegged out at top payment for a long time, and so am paying for those less fortunate - which is fine with me. If it is so safe then why is it going broke? I’m all paid in too. Is it because the money goes to the disabled as well? I thought it was from Government borrowing? ---
**Author:** ![Voyager](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voyager/32/133_2.png) [@Voyager](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Voyager)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2010, 6:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/private-sector-solutions-part-i-social-security/528860/83 "2010-02-16T06:07:19Z")
> [@Perciful](#): > > If it is so safe then why is it going broke? I’m all paid in too. Is it because the money goes to the disabled as well? I thought it was from Government borrowing? It is not going broke. In fact, Social Security is still cash flow positive at the moment (or was before the crash.) Demographically, if we do nothing and the economic forecasts are right, it will start putting out money and will eventually have to reduce payments by cutting benefits or increasing retirement age. But it could also fix the problem by increasing the cap on payments. It isn’t nearly in as bad shape as it was in the 1980s, when Reagan, to his credit, got a nonpartisan commission going to recommend changes to fix the problems, which were passed. It is only a crisis in the minds of those who think that a successful government program is a crime against humanity. ---
**Author:** ![Perciful](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/b38774/32.png) [@Perciful](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Perciful)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2010, 2:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/private-sector-solutions-part-i-social-security/528860/84 "2010-02-16T14:13:32Z")
> [@Voyager](#): > > It is not going broke. In fact, Social Security is still cash flow positive at the moment (or was before the crash.) Demographically, if we do nothing and the economic forecasts are right, it will start putting out money and will eventually have to reduce payments by cutting benefits or increasing retirement age. But it could also fix the problem by increasing the cap on payments. It isn’t nearly in as bad shape as it was in the 1980s, when Reagan, to his credit, got a nonpartisan commission going to recommend changes to fix the problems, which were passed. > > It is only a crisis in the minds of those who think that a successful government program is a crime against humanity. Thanks Voyager. This was a real eye opener for me. I am posting an article that will fix Social Security permanently. Making all US citizens part of Social Security will ensure it’s survival. [http://www.americanthinker.com/2005/04/two\_steps\_guaranteed\_to\_fix\_so.html](http://www.americanthinker.com/2005/04/two_steps_guaranteed_to_fix_so.html) [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/private-sector-solutions-part-i-social-security/528860.md?page=4)