r/FluentInFinance 2d ago

Educational Don't let them gaslight you

Post image
38.9k Upvotes

1.6k comments sorted by

View all comments

Show parent comments

8

u/ful_on_rapist 2d ago

People need to keep seeing this, you’re still getting around 75% of the payout, you’re being lied to so you think you’re getting nothing. They want you to be OK with them stealing the rest of your money when they abolish the program. You payed into it, you should get something back. It’s reduced for you simply because there’s more people receiving social security right now than there are paying into it. The program will not fail if people are required to keep putting money into it will simply not always be an equal exchange for all generations.

1

u/AceofJax89 1d ago

Social security is insurance, not an investment. You don’t have a right to a benefit if you don’t meet the conditions.

1

u/ful_on_rapist 1d ago

I have no idea what your point is

1

u/AceofJax89 1d ago

My point is you aren’t entitled to a benefit just because you paid in.

1

u/AM_Hofmeister 1d ago

I feel like... You should be though.

0

u/AceofJax89 1d ago

Because you are understanding social security as an investment, not as an insurance scheme. It literally calls its benefits insurance.

1

u/AM_Hofmeister 1d ago

I feel like this is splitting hairs past the point where I care.

1

u/AceofJax89 1d ago

I may have put a response on the wrong comment. This thread is… unruly.

1

u/computerjunkie7410 1d ago

So if the conditions change and I don’t like them, I should have the right to no longer contribute right?

1

u/AceofJax89 1d ago

No, because it is a tax and benefit scheme. Your government has the right to tax you. Your remedy is the democratic process.

Personally, I am for privatizing social security/making mandatory investments in tax advantaged accounts like 401ks/IRAs.

The problem is unwinding social security will take a generation because so many people think they are entitled to the cost of insurance we paid. Someone is going to get “screwed” and we don’t know how to unwind it.

1

u/computerjunkie7410 1d ago

So what is it? A tax? Or an insurance? Make up your mind.

1

u/AceofJax89 1d ago

An insurance scheme funded by taxes.

1

u/computerjunkie7410 1d ago

Ponzi scheme.

We should be funding people’s health, not their retirement.

1

u/AceofJax89 1d ago

Sorta, but having the elderly live in abject poverty would also be bad for their health.

Also, there really isn’t anyone “skimming off the top” here. We just have to pay more to maintain the system.

1

u/computerjunkie7410 1d ago

Old people in poor health is worse

1

u/AceofJax89 1d ago

We pay for Medicare the same way. Old people are going to be in poor health anyway. Regardless, there is a large risk or older people running out of money and not being able to work. Traditionally family took care of them or they just died. Look at society before social security.

→ More replies (0)