# Do You Know What's Great About Pensions & Social Security?



## Lon (Aug 21, 2015)

They come in steady and regular every month and are not dependent on the Dow Jones or any other financial index.

Watching my investment accounts take a beating this week makes me very happy that I am not dependent on them for my living and pleasure expenses.


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## AZ Jim (Aug 21, 2015)

You have just identified the reason that the idea of attaching the SS system to the stock market is a bad one.  Republicans have tried under GW Bush and now his little brother wants it too.


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## Glinda (Aug 21, 2015)

AZ Jim said:


> You have just identified the reason that the idea of attaching the SS system to the stock market is a bad one.  Republicans have tried under GW Bush and now his little brother wants it too.



Excellent point, Jim - except I would add that all the republican candidates want to do this.


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## Bullie76 (Aug 21, 2015)

Lon said:


> They come in steady and regular every month and are not dependent on the Dow Jones or any other financial index.
> 
> Watching my investment accounts take a beating this week makes me very happy that I am not dependent on them for my living and pleasure expenses.



Must be nice. I am dependent on my investments to produce enough income to cover my expenses. I try to stay balanced, but not fun watching your stocks take a hit. But as they say......it is what it is. I will have SS coming in before too long and that will take pressure off my investments. May buy a small fixed annuity too to supplement SS and serve as my pension. Then I can look at weeks like this as you do.


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## GeorgiaXplant (Aug 21, 2015)

Lon said:


> They come in steady and regular every month and are not dependent on the Dow Jones or any other financial index.



Yesssss!


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## Lon (Aug 21, 2015)

The Repubs want to use the Market for accumulating funds and it has nothing to do with how payments are made.


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## Shalimar (Aug 21, 2015)

For many who do not have investments, pensions et al keep them from being indigent. Seems pretty wonderful to me.


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## Lon (Aug 21, 2015)

Agreed


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## Cookie (Aug 21, 2015)

OAP and federal pension plan cheques are certainly welcome and appreciated.


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## AZ Jim (Aug 21, 2015)

Lon said:


> The Repubs want to use the Market for accumulating funds and it has nothing to do with how payments are made.



Te repubs want to allow the wall street banks and institutions gamble with OUR money.  If wall street goes into a prolonged dive what do you imagine will happen to our retirement checks?  Get real!


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## QuickSilver (Aug 22, 2015)

AZ Jim said:


> Te repubs want to allow the wall street banks and institutions gamble with OUR money.  If wall street goes into a prolonged dive what do you imagine will happen to our retirement checks?  Get real!




Very true...  But not only gamble with it... but skim a little off the top in commissions..   GOP is always looking out for it's buddies and to figure out more ways to move some of our money up to the top.


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## Bullie76 (Aug 22, 2015)

The plans for privatizing that I have seen would have options to pick from, similar to a TSP plan for government employees. If one does not want money in the stock market, you pick a 'guaranteed' option investing in Treasuries. Would be the same as what you have now. I would like to have options, but many do not want any.


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## QuickSilver (Aug 22, 2015)

Bullie76 said:


> The plans for privatizing that I have seen would have options to pick from, similar to a TSP plan for government employees. If one does not want money in the stock market, you pick a 'guaranteed' option investing in Treasuries. Would be the same as what you have now. I would like to have options, but many do not want any.




Not at ALL like what we have now.   Now there is no fund or account tucked away with your name on it..   Our SS checks are funded by the people currently working and paying FICA.   When we were working, we funded the checks of our parents and grandparents.   So this would be a hugely regressive plan completely penalizing people with less money to put away..   It's great for people making a butt load of money but what about people that can barely get by?   Again... the GOP shows where it's loyalty is.


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## Lon (Aug 22, 2015)

The usual liberal response.  Libs could benefit by taking Econ 101 & Finance


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## QuickSilver (Aug 22, 2015)

Lon said:


> The usual liberal response.  Libs could benefit by taking Econ 101 & Finance



Typical Conservative response... when you cannot come up with a sensible counter argument...sling an insult.  You are so predictable lon


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## Lon (Aug 22, 2015)

Government just doesn't do a good job in the finance department and never has. Their whole solution to any financial problem is to take from Peter to pay Paul. Government does not create $$$ or wealth they deplete and destroy it.


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## Bullie76 (Aug 22, 2015)

Lon said:


> Government just doesn't do a good job in the finance department and never has. Their whole solution to any financial problem is to take from Peter to pay Paul. Government does not create $$$ or wealth they deplete and destroy it.



That's it in a nutshell.


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## QuickSilver (Aug 22, 2015)

Still no answer to my question... What happens to the people who do not make enough money to put into a private account to sustain them in retirement even at the poverty level?   Tough?  Let 'em starve...  BEG??    What's the Conservative "wisdom"?


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## Lon (Aug 22, 2015)

The reason that some people in past years were not making sufficient income to save or invest is because of certain government policies and was not caused by the Private Sector. What is your Nursing "wisdom"? Give em a government pill.?


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## QuickSilver (Aug 22, 2015)

You are making ZERO sense..


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## Bullie76 (Aug 22, 2015)

What Bush actually proposed was investment options for only a portion of a person's SS contributions. It wouldn't be a total conversion. As far as what lower earners would receive, they would receive much less than what a high end earner receives. That is the case today. 

The discussion is really a moot point. No way I see anything like this implemented. Continue on with the status quo. Most of us will be dead before the system goes belly up anyway.


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## QuickSilver (Aug 22, 2015)

Again..  raising the cap on FICA would solve the problem..  BUT.. then the wealthy would pay more... and wouldn't be able to dip into our money like they would if it were in the market..  SOOO....  you can see why the GOP wouldn't stand for it.


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## AZ Jim (Aug 22, 2015)

The first shovel load is how we begin to dig a grave.  In other words "privatization" is only the way to open SS to further raids by republicans


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## Bullie76 (Aug 22, 2015)

I have no problem with raising the caps. But I doubt those nasty republicans can keep their hands off of the additional revenue. Budget deficits would increase leaving only an appearance of financial improvement in SS.


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## Lon (Aug 22, 2015)

Hope you are a better nurse than an Economist


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## QuickSilver (Aug 22, 2015)

Lon said:


> Hope you are a better nurse than an Economist



I sincerely hope that you are a better person than you appear to be from this response.


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