Social Security

Social Security by Choice: The Experience of Three Texas Counties

Stock market volatility remains one of the primary objections to switching from the current pay-as-you-go method of funding Social Security benefits to a system of prefunded personal retirement acco…
Social Security and Medicare Projections: 2009

The 2009 Social Security and Medicare Trustees Reports show the combined unfunded liability of these two programs has reached nearly $107 trillion in today's dollars!  That is about seven times the si…
Measuring Social Security's True Liability

Every year the Social Security Trustees publish a report on the fiscal solvency of the program. It details the program's unfunded liabilities, which is what the government will still owe after it uses…
Measuring the Unfunded Obligations of European Countries

Europe is undergoing two major transitions. On the demographic front, many European countries are undergoing rapid population aging as their Baby Boom generations enter retirement, senior citizens liv…
Thinking About Tomorrow

How large is the federal government's debt? The figure most likely to be reported in newspapers is the debt held by the public. This measure currently stands at $6.3 trillion and is rising. However, t…
Double-Dipping Social Security

The current Social Security system allows individuals to claim reduced, early retirement benefits beginning at age 62.  Individuals who wait until the full retirement age to collect receive about 30 p…
Social Security and Medicare Projections: 2008

The 2008 Social Security and Medicare Trustees Reports show the combined unfunded liability of these two programs has reached $101.7 trillion in today's dollars! That is more than seven times the size…
Giving No Credit Where It Is Due: Social Security Disability

The disability insurance component of the U.S. Social Security system is funded by a 1.8 percent payroll tax. It pays benefits to disabled adults who have earned a required number of credits based on…