10 Things You Didn't Know About Social Security

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Our government has been spending our money on foolish things for many years now,and doing whatever it want with it.Well its time for the people to take a REAL stand,and start or continue spending the rest of our money on ourselves.First, people need to get out of the stock market.It a playgroung for the rich,by now the little guy should be smart enough to now that,and deserve to get burned if you dont.Secondly,people need to start pulling there money out of banks and putting them into safety deposit boxes,or hidden somewhere away from the banks,if you dont have alot.Thats to stop the b.s.fees,that they are collecting.And for the stupid people who think that there interest is higher than the fees that they collect from you ever year,you might want to look at that.Why do you think banks have insentives like giving you 100.00 if you have derect deposits with them and other insentives,because the banks have so many rules(done on purpose),to confuse you and are socked with several fees,you didnt read in the fine print.You dont have to spend time watching and calling your life away only to get no satisfaction on the phone.Grease is falling apart,because there government was doing the same,but the people said f.u.to the government and spending there money on themselves,and good times.Is it right,probably not,but rather than the government having a good time on my dime,and me bitching about it.Im left with no headache choice,but to do the same.Fight fire with fire.Also dont buy a house,by now hopefully people realize that it is no longer an investment,but is a anchor of headaches with no rewards,but again only to the banks.Renting is the better option,weigh out the pros and cons,and you will see.

Keith Duranczyk of IL 1:28PM October 20, 2012

Good article. However, you should also include several other items; such as that higher earners get a much lower proportionate benefit than lower wage earners, the cost of the disability and insurance parts of the total cost of social secrurity which skews the apparent cost of social security and
the amount that our government has borrowed from Social Security and now does not have the ability to repay.

Sheila of NM 1:05PM October 20, 2012

if the ss adminstration would get off their "buffs" and start checking on all the so called "disabled poeple" that draws big benefits each month. They may find that those so called "disabled recipents" are just as well and abled bodied to work same as me and the rest of the active work force! As for the immigrants ; they should not be able to receive any benefits unless they have paid into ss for a certain amounts of years. I think it's very unfair to just hand our hard earned money over to them , without penalty! Am i mistaken or what? i thought that ss was for the american work force!

sc of TN 12:24PM October 20, 2012

Social Security benefits are offset if you are a retired State employee.
This applies even if spouse has paid large amounts into SS and you are a widow(widower). Also if you are divorced and you helped your ex pay into system for twenty years, you remarry you then you are not allowed to recieve benefits from that period.

Sandra Burling of LA 10:57AM October 20, 2012

It's either a sure thing at a less amount per month by taking the benefits earlier in life or it's a crap shoot that you live beyond the retirement age by postponing benefits.
Let me see... the math tells me that I would benefit more from an earlier amount over a longer period of years than delaying it until past my retirement age for a shorter period of years.
Not a tough decision for me to make. Part time workers can supplement their income so they can have the best of both... benefits and earnings = seem to make much more sense than to work longer and receive more for a less period of time.
Perhaps I'm wrong in my thinking but doing the math convinces me that it's my own personal best way to go.

S Monday of MI 10:47AM October 20, 2012

If congress would take the Social Security out of the general fund it was moved to and back where congress would quit tapping in to it for projects and extra spending there would not be a SS and Medicare issue. Plus stop givin illegals benefits that haven't paid in to the program there would be issues.

Ed Jocz of CO 9:07AM October 20, 2012

Stop paying benefits to ex-spouses. Just because you have been married 3 times and each marriage lasted at least 10 yrs, a person should not be able to sit w/a SS rep and play the "which ex pays the most" game. I have witnessed this at the ss ofc. If you are an ex, the courts have decided what you are entitled to-period. Ex's should get a job & their ss benefit should solely be based on the wages they have earned in my opinion

Sheila of NC 8:45AM October 20, 2012

If SS has collected 13 trillion dollars, but has only paid 10.6 trillion dollars - where is the balance of the money? Congress has spent the money! Why was SS dollars not protected? Don't reduce benefits or kill what people have paid into SS for 75 years when the money should be there now!

Ron of SC 8:15AM October 20, 2012

Go back to only paying the retiree (or at least no more than the current spouse/widow(er) or minor child) and cut all the other bene's. That would save tons of money without having to increase taxs, cut benefit amounts, or push back the age.

pam of IN 6:43AM October 20, 2012

The SS increase should be a flat dollar amount for everyone, not a percentage. Those receiving the largest checks get the largest increase but the medicare increase is the same for everyone. The rift between the "haves" and "have-nots" keeps getting bigger.

Margery of FL 6:18AM October 20, 2012