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truedelphi

(32,324 posts)

62. I hate to be such a damn cynic, but the way it is set up -

Sat Jan 3, 2015, 04:37 PM

Jan 2015

Only the super rich and the very lucky KNOW for certain that all their plans will see them through.

No mattter what your planning and saving entails - one illness and one group of Big Insurers who don't need to help you with that illness can wipe it all out.

As someone who watched as a medical bankruptcy forced us to utilize our retirment monies to survive an illness that Kaiser Permanente was disinterested in treating, I don't see any guarantees that being prudent matters all that much.

Plus I am hearing more horror stories every day of the week from older neighbors and friends who rely on Kaiser and are told that "no, you don't need treatment - what you think you need is not necessary" so they go off and spend their retirement monies in order to continue breathing, or having their mobility or having a working, beating heart.

And the system ensures that the richer people who paid into Social Security at a proportion of their income much less than any one else - they live to survive to collect the Social Security funds, while most of the rest of the 99% face much steeper odds of doing so.

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You might have to work forever: The honest reality about Social Security and retirement [View all] xchrom Jan 2015 OP

my calculated retirement age is 215. n/t PowerToThePeople Jan 2015 #1

The cause of your inability to retire RazzleCat Jan 2015 #16

Spoiled and lazy I see...just kidding, a very funny response you have there. and probably true randys1 Jan 2015 #28

You're saying "work forever" like it's a bad thing Cosmic Kitten Jan 2015 #2

People like to say that, but the reality is that if health problems don't take you out CTyankee Jan 2015 #6

Agreed. The economy is rigged. Cosmic Kitten Jan 2015 #10

Yeah--like vote. nt tblue37 Jan 2015 #34

Vote for who? SomethingFishy Jan 2015 #77

Rust belt folks demand TheFarseer Mar 2019 #103

Interesting point. Because that also means that you will have to work for lowerer GoneFishin Jan 2015 #13

There is good news on that front, I think...Since the Koch bros want you working till you die, they randys1 Jan 2015 #29

Maybe if the D's running in 2014 had actually run on progressive ideas peacebird Jan 2015 #36

You better hope it isnt a loser in the end, though, especially if you are a minority of any kind randys1 Jan 2015 #38

A better pitch and relentless effort to back it up are a better hope investment. TheKentuckian Jan 2015 #51

I agree, although the truth is, working people who whathehell Jan 2015 #101

Give Dems a candidate to vote for who will deal with employers who discriminate based on age JDPriestly Jan 2015 #83

you can be healthy and not cost them a damn thing magical thyme Jan 2015 #41

Yep! Nowadays once you hit 50 they start trying to get rid of you. brush Jan 2015 #56

I held out to 65 but threw in the towel once I knew they wanted me gone. CTyankee Jan 2015 #60

true dat flamingdem Jan 2015 #66

Thanks. Discrimination -- been there done that. JDPriestly Jan 2015 #81

i already know i'll work till i die. i do have a profession i can do sitting on my ass KG Jan 2015 #3

And that's what the PtB want Prophet 451 Jan 2015 #4

My mortgage will paid off in 20 years when I am 82. kaiden Jan 2015 #5

85 for me (just refinanced at age 55) harris8 Jan 2015 #14

Oh, but you'll downsize. I've already faced that situation. I'm looking for a place to CTyankee Jan 2015 #37

You don't have to pay it off brush Jan 2015 #57

First you are talking about Social Security and then pensions. Aren't they two different things? jwirr Jan 2015 #7

Practically every retirement plan out there didn't factor in life extension. TampaAnimusVortex Jan 2015 #8

Don't worry. In the US that treatment will only be available to the ultra rich n2doc Jan 2015 #12

I don't think so... TampaAnimusVortex Jan 2015 #46

The TPP will delay the time in which drugs go generic. I susupect that is the reason that JDPriestly Jan 2015 #84

There has been some discussion of increasing the maximun amount of salary which FICA is taken. Thinkingabout Jan 2015 #9

And once again we are told things (like retirement and universal HC) are impossible to maintain n2doc Jan 2015 #11

+100. Millionaire writers who write these things don't want their own taxes raised. closeupready Jan 2015 #23

Where are these millionaire writers? spinbaby Jan 2015 #26

Tom Friedman (aka the 'stache of freedom), David Brooks, George Will n2doc Jan 2015 #35

This is true IF..... daleanime Jan 2015 #15

Yeah, I've pretty much accepted that. ladyVet Jan 2015 #17

Don't worry. Your employers will force you out when you get into your 50s. nt LiberalEsto Jan 2015 #18

The Baby Boomers fucked over everything else alphafemale Jan 2015 #19

Funny, this "Baby Boomer" LiberalElite Jan 2015 #22

The baby boomers funded their SS...was the reasoning behind raising the SS payroll tax SammyWinstonJack Jan 2015 #27

Me too. 2naSalit Jan 2015 #43

The Silent Generation got through life with the least problems AZ Progressive Jan 2015 #74

Reading is a wonderful skill. kiva Jan 2015 #67

+1 joshcryer Jan 2015 #69

Oh c'mon Alpha Dyedinthewoolliberal Jan 2015 #78

During the Reagan era, Social Security taxes were raised on baby boomers so that the baby JDPriestly Jan 2015 #86

We will see our Social Security money, unless, of course, we allow them ... dawg Jan 2015 #91

Corporate CEOs can retire anytime, generations of their families never have to work, whereisjustice Jan 2015 #20

+1 SammyWinstonJack Jan 2015 #30

Time for a guaranteed national income (n/t) bread_and_roses Jan 2015 #21

I'm an early 50something, and I've NEVER expected to retire. The_Commonist Jan 2015 #24

My wife and I just retired in June. She is 46 and I am 44. We have never had taxable income over kelly1mm Jan 2015 #55

No kids shanti Jan 2015 #68

I agree that the 'no kids' factor was probably the biggest single reason we were able to kelly1mm Jan 2015 #73

Eliminate the cap. Problem solved. closeupready Jan 2015 #25

That's a 'tax' on the rich and that's why that will never happen. SammyWinstonJack Jan 2015 #31

Successful negotiators do not enter talks with modest goals. closeupready Jan 2015 #50

This is laughable, Beltway, Pete Peterson-driven economic propaganda brentspeak Jan 2015 #32

My brother and his wife plan to retire PasadenaTrudy Jan 2015 #33

No problem! Just be born into a family with money! vkkv Jan 2015 #39

You're right, but there was no "golden age" for retirement income hereabouts HardLineDem Jan 2015 #40

Welcome to DU! Kokonoe Jan 2015 #64

K/R marmar Jan 2015 #42

This is absurd KentuckyWoman Jan 2015 #44

The reality is that older workers face terrible discrimiination in the workplace. JDPriestly Jan 2015 #87

It's also ridiculous to expect everyone to want to work longer. alarimer Jan 2015 #99

And just what does the author think will happen to unemployment if people work an extra decade? strategery blunder Jan 2015 #45

Good points! JDPriestly Jan 2015 #90

Retirement worries are a first world problem. Omnith Jan 2015 #47

well if you live in the first world it's a big fuckin problem. xchrom Jan 2015 #52

I'm just saying the idea and existence of "retirement" is relatively new and could only exist in Omnith Jan 2015 #59

Living past the age of 32 is a relatively new phenomenon. hay rick Jan 2015 #65

depends on how you define "relatively new" hfojvt Jan 2015 #72

What's that supposed to mean? Cleita Jan 2015 #53

I didn't say it wasn't a problem. Omnith Jan 2015 #61

They're really not, but people in agrarian societies breed their retirement plan. LeftyMom Jan 2015 #71

In the third world, seniors live with their children. Problem solved. JDPriestly Jan 2015 #92

I think it is good kids take care of the parents in old their old age. Omnith Jan 2015 #96

The sad thing is with just a few tweaks to the FICA taxes, Cleita Jan 2015 #48

I've adjusted to living on $1158 a month SSDI. Kaleva Jan 2015 #49

I wonder how many of those affected by this VOTED Triana Jan 2015 #54

The Clintons are very good friends of the Pete Peterson crowd. JDPriestly Jan 2015 #93

People need to pay close attention and vote accordingly. Triana Jan 2015 #95

But Wall Street needs those pensions! AgingAmerican Jan 2015 #58

I hate to be such a damn cynic, but the way it is set up - truedelphi Jan 2015 #62

K&R liberal_at_heart Jan 2015 #63

You should appreciate a job that allows you to stay active in your old age. Quackers Jan 2015 #70

Retirement is a stupid concept invented by lazy people nolabels Jan 2015 #75

I don't care what it is that you do, no employer is going to be ... dawg Jan 2015 #89

Another of our union shops down the street just retired a.... nolabels Jan 2015 #97

Key word .... dawg Jan 2015 #100

What's a pension? BubbaFett Jan 2015 #76

OK. As one who is retired. JDPriestly Jan 2015 #79

90% of the working class won't be ready for retirement at all. dawg Jan 2015 #80

Recommend. nt Zorra Jan 2015 #82

This book is written on the cherished premise that the Social Security cap must not be raised. nt djean111 Jan 2015 #85

This article is flawed in several ways. RunInCircles Jan 2015 #88

I apologise for my math mistake RunInCircles Jan 2015 #94

My job is fun and all, and I like traveling DFW Jan 2015 #98

Life expectancy is not rising significantly, except in a few small subgroups. raging moderate Jan 2015 #102