Thursday, June 21, 2018

COTW: A Tale of Two Charts

Here is what you need to know about the status of Social Security.  Repugnants have been systematically trying to reduce Social Security benefits, or eliminate the most popular social program in America's relatively short history.  Predictably, they view the Depression-era old age pension as a socialistic re-distribution of wealth.  Right now, Americans could use a little redistribution if you ask US Person, who is waiting to collect his benefits at age 67.

The first chart shows the obvious problem.  When Social Security began the work force paying into the program far exceeded the number of retirees legible to receive benefits, who also died relatively younger:


The latest report from the program's trustees in 2014 shows that under the two most likely scenarios the program becomes increasingly insolvent through the end of this century: