社会保障:房间里的大象
对大多数美国人来说, Social Security has represented nothing more than some unavoidable payroll deduction with the positively cryptic initials of "FICA" and "OASDI" (Federal 保险 Contributions Act and Old Age, 遗属及伤残保险). It hinted at a future that seemed both intangible and far away.
Yet, some Americans now sit on the cusp of drawing on the promise that was made with those payments.
As the growing wave of citizens approach retirement, questions and concerns abound. 社会保障在财务上是否健康? 我的收入津贴是多少? 我怎样才能使我的配偶和我自己的利益最大化? 我什么时候开始领社保?
问题 & 大象
Answering these questions may help you derive the most from your Social Security benefit and potentially enhance your financial security in retirement. Before you can answer these questions, you have to acknowledge the elephant in the room.
The Social Security system has undergone periodic scares over the years that have inevitably led many people to wonder if Social Security will remain financially sound enough to pay the benefits they are owed.
合理的问题
社会保障制度是1935年富兰克林. 罗斯福的第一任期. It was designed to provide income to older Americans who had little to no means of support. The country was mired in an economic downturn and the need for such support was acute.1
自成立以来, there have been three basic developments that have led to the financial challenges Social Security faces today.
- The number of workers paying into the system (which supports current benefit payments) has fallen from just over 8 workers for every retiree in 1955 to 2.8 in 2021. 这一比例预计将降至2.到2038年是3比1.2,3
- A program that began as a dedicated retirement benefit later morphed into income support for disabled workers and surviving family members. These added obligations were not always matched with the necessary payroll deduction levels to financially support these additional objectives.
- 退休人员寿命更长. 正如所料, the march of medical technology and our understanding of healthy behaviors have led to a longer retirement span, 可能会对资源造成更大的压力.
Beginning in 2010, tax and other non-interest income no longer fully covered the program's cost. 根据社会保障受托人2022年年度报告, this pattern is expected to continue for the next 75 years; the report projects that the trust fund may be exhausted by 2034, 没有任何变化.4
Social Security's financial troubles are real, but the prospect of its failure seems remote. There are a number of ways to stabilize the Social Security system, including, but not limited to:
- 增加工资税: An increase in payroll taxes, depending on the size, could add years of life to the trust fund.
- 提高退休年龄: This has already been done in past reforms and would save money by paying benefits to future recipients at a later age.
- 高收入者的税务优惠: By taxing Social Security income for retirees in higher tax brackets, the tax revenue could be used to lengthen the life of the trust fund.
- 修改通货膨胀调整: Rather than raise benefits in line with the Consumer Price Index (CPI), policymakers might elect to tie future benefit increases to the "chained CPI," which assumes that individuals move to cheaper alternatives in the face of rising costs. Using the "chained CPI" may make cost of living adjustments less expensive.
Reform is expected to be difficult since it may involve tough choices. But with Social Security playing such a key role for so many retired Americans, 预计议员们将聚在一起寻找解决方案.
1. SSA.政府,2023
2. SSA.政府,2023
3. SSA.政府,2023
4. SSA.政府,2023
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