# What happens if we raise the Social Security age? **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [November 15, 2004, 8:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happens-if-we-raise-the-social-security-age/274921 "2004-11-15T20:11:54Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 4\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![AHunter3](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ahunter3/32/368_2.png) [@AHunter3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AHunter3)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2004, 1:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happens-if-we-raise-the-social-security-age/274921/21 "2004-11-17T01:00:55Z")
If I’m well-protected from age discrimination you can raise the retirement age on me. Frankly 65 sounds awfully young. But I suspect it would be a tough sell to lots of other folks. ---
**Author:** ![pervert](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/bbe5ce/32.png) [@pervert](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pervert)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2004, 2:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happens-if-we-raise-the-social-security-age/274921/22 "2004-11-17T02:31:03Z")
> [@Hentor the Barbarian](#): > > Actually, what I want is why you believe so strongly that Social Security is headed for insolvency. You seem to be saying that it is because the anticipated number of people paying in will be going down, and the anticipated number of people taking out will be going up. Is this correct? That’s one reason yes. > [@](#): > > Are you saying that GDP is not relevant to estimations of the solvency of Social Security? Why not? Of course not. > [@](#): > > If you do believe it to be relevant, how do you feel about an estimated GDP of 1.6%? Do you expect the American economy to perform at such a poor rate over the next 30 years? Well, it depends on the details of that estimate. The study I linked to used 1.3%, 1.6%, and 1.9% to generate their numbers. They also mentioned something about “taxable GDP”. That is thier GDP numbers may not be exactly 1 to 1 equivilant to the GDP numbers in other studies. I can agree that certain predictions about the exact year of insolvency are flexibl depending on the assumptions. But showing that one assumption is erroneous does not invalidate the whole premise. The story may be true even if these particular documents are forgeries, after all. 😉 > [@](#): > > Can you allow that Social Security may _not_ be inevitably headed for insolvency? Of course. I said as much in that other thread. I allowed several times that some people are overblowing the dangers. But, I think, you are underplaying them. It does not follow that since we have always have more workers than retirees in the 20th century that we will always be so blessed in the 21st. ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2004, 4:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happens-if-we-raise-the-social-security-age/274921/23 "2004-11-17T04:56:23Z")
> [@suranyi](#): > > It may be predictable, but it’s still a huge change, and not gradual at all for individual people. I’m 42, and now my SS age is now 67. Under your plan it would jump to 75, or maybe more. That’s a lot of extra years to plan for, for someone in the middle of his working years. Well, if the unfortunate trade-off for letting you and your peers retire at 67 is racking up a truly gigantic deficit, then it’s a decision to be carefully considered. ---
**Author:** ![ralph124c](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/8797f3/32.png) [@ralph124c](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ralph124c)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2004, 8:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happens-if-we-raise-the-social-security-age/274921/24 "2004-11-17T20:24:08Z")
Think about it: if every elederly person smoked at least 5 packs of cigarettes a day, the government would solve the mess! More tax revenue, and early death means lower SS payouts! Pass it on…its SEXY for oldsters to smoke! 🙂 [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happens-if-we-raise-the-social-security-age/274921.md?page=1)