When I have the opportunity to meet with people or speaking at a event, probably the most popular question I get is: “Can I count on Social Security to be there when I retire”? Of course the majority of that question comes to me where peoples ages range from 40-55. The young people I talk to assume social security will NOT be there. That’s a shame.
The latest Social Security Trustees Report projects that the Social Security trust fund will run out of money in just 18 years, or 2033. But even if that forecast proves accurate, it doesn’t mean payments will stop. The payroll taxes that Social Security collects from workers and employers will still be able to fund 77% of scheduled benefits.
So the real issue is whether benefits will be cut, not eliminated.
In my opinion, I would be very surprised if people in their mid-50s or older see their benefits scaled back. That said, even if their payments aren’t reduced, they could be trimmed in other ways, such as making more of their Social Security income taxable.
I think for the younger generation, Social Security maybe changed, but never deleted. I say to young people that it’s always better to plan ahead of time so your NOT so dependent on social security for retirement.