Pete the Planner on the Social Security cliff and potential for benefit cuts

If you’re of a certain age—or you anticipate being of a certain age—and you’ve been keeping up with the news lately, there’s a lot out there that can trigger your anxiety. Today we’re going to talk about Social Security. As you likely know, Social Security provides a modest amount of money every month to retirees from a fund that collects payroll taxes on those who are still working. Here’s the first problem: The ratio of people who are employed to people who are retired has shrunk significantly in recent generations. According to the Social Security Administration, the fund will be depleted by 2035, eliminating any reserves, meaning retiree benefits will be paid directly from incoming taxes. That won’t be enough to satisfy all obligations to retirees, and their benefits will drop by an estimated 17%. 

There’s another source of anxiety: President Donald Trump’s drive to eliminate a huge chunk of the federal work force. That includes a portion of those who work for the Social Security Administration. Trump’s team also wants to close dozens of Social Security field offices while also tightening measures for Social Security candidates or recipients to prove their identities. Advocates for retirees say these changes could lead to massive delays for services. The Trump administration says it’s trying to eliminate waste and the potential for fraud.

IBJ personal finance columnist Peter Dunn, aka Pete the Planer, is the guest this week on the IBJ Podcast to provide some context and break down the issues that could have a serious impact on the tens of millions of retirees who receive Social Security. Obviously, there are millions more Americas who anticipate receiving Social security in the next decade or so, after paying into the system since last century. Here’s a quick preview of Pete’s advice: If you’re planning for retirement right now, don’t count on receiving Social Security, if you can at all help it.