Help me battle my teacher's indoctrination

[PLOlover]

I've got all the data to make my argument I'll post tomorrow or next day. maybe even later it's nontrivial.

[T50_Omaha8]

[ QUOTE ]
Im fairly surprised if it seemed like that was the point I was trying to make.

[/ QUOTE ] I wasn't responding to the point you were trying to make. Just the thing about Norway's oil.

[manbearpig]

RE: Social Security

Why is this so difficult? If I pay in 200K over my lifetime, why should I not be eligible for that 200K + gains and be done with it.

If I die one year in and cant collect why does my family not get that money?

If I outlive my benefits why should I continue to get paid?


If SS is now a "retirement plan" just treat it like one.

[Copernicus]

[ QUOTE ]
RE: Social Security

Why is this so difficult? If I pay in 200K over my lifetime, why should I not be eligible for that 200K + gains and be done with it.

If I die one year in and cant collect why does my family not get that money?

If I outlive my benefits why should I continue to get paid?


If SS is now a "retirement plan" just treat it like one.

[/ QUOTE ]

You apparently don't have much familiarit with group retirement plans. What you are looking for is an individual annuity with a refund of premiums, which is NOT a group retirement plan.

In a group retirement plan there are elements of insurance. Contributions for those who die young help pay benefits for those who live longer. Contributions for the single help pay spousal benefits for the married with non-working or lower wage spouses, contributions for those who remain healthy help pay for those who become disabled. (Ignore the feeble SS death benefit, lol).

Those are features common to corporate retirement plans and government retirement plans including SS, and they are essential and appropriate elements of their design and funding, especially one that is intended to be a floor subsistence benefit, part of the "Three legged stool".

[manbearpig]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
RE: Social Security

Why is this so difficult? If I pay in 200K over my lifetime, why should I not be eligible for that 200K + gains and be done with it.

If I die one year in and cant collect why does my family not get that money?

If I outlive my benefits why should I continue to get paid?


If SS is now a "retirement plan" just treat it like one.

[/ QUOTE ]

You apparently don't have much familiarit with group retirement plans. What you are looking for is an individual annuity with a refund of premiums, which is NOT a group retirement plan.

In a group retirement plan there are elements of insurance. Contributions for those who die young help pay benefits for those who live longer. Contributions for the single help pay spousal benefits for the married with non-working or lower wage spouses, contributions for those who remain healthy help pay for those who become disabled. (Ignore the feeble SS death benefit, lol).

Those are features common to corporate retirement plans and government retirement plans including SS, and they are essential and appropriate elements of their design and funding, especially one that is intended to be a floor subsistence benefit, part of the "Three legged stool".

[/ QUOTE ]

Where did I sign up for this "plan"?

I get thats how it works now, but it sucks. I don't want to have those extra benefits that you mentioned but I have no choice. And that will more than likely cost me money.

[pvn]

[ QUOTE ]
Where did I sign up for this "plan"?

I get thats how it works now, but it sucks. I don't want to have those extra benefits that you mentioned but I have no choice. And that will more than likely cost me money.

[/ QUOTE ]

You have to pay for all that extra stuff you don't want so that other people can free ride off of you. See, that's what government does, it solves free rider problems (I suppose the people pushing this line feel that the problem is there are not enough free riders, so we need government programs to create more of them).