Basically, morons would have the American retirement system subject to the same whims as GameStop.

" 2.5% of pensionable income is allocated to a funded pension scheme"

I'd have no problem with a percentage of the income invested in the markets. Or controlled by the participants. Fine by me.

But your proposal isn't 2.5%, is it?

"Many if not most people here don't even pay 6.2%."

I pay 12.4%.

Of course, my boss is an -------. Has been since the day I became self-employed.

"Just take the cap off the 168,000k. Don't raise the rate. "

Frankly, there are LOTS of routes, and the most sensible would probably be to take a little bit of each.

Those who predict its demise, WANT its demise.

" if we are going to degrade ourselves down to who is the bigger "Nazi.""

So...you're unsure if it's Obama, or Elon?!?

Let me guess: lead paint chips aficionado?

" you (sic) solution is to raise taxes."

Well, yeah, when the paying populace drops, and the retired populace increases.

Gee, if there was only a name for it, like baby boomer retirement.

Rates can return when the ratio changes...or when actual Trustees are given actual money.

"Your plan is to have NO insurer of last resort. "

In the real world, even insurers have insurers.

"You don't understand the fundamental purpose of the fund."

Bingo. We have a winner.

"All this while SS spends less than 1 percent of it's budget on Admin"

Up until this point...the envy of the world.

Thanks, Trump...you ------.

"As I said, keep raising taxes and keep the system just scraping by - you prefer this over investing in the market so that the Fund could actually grow into a sovereign wealth fund..."

No, my preference is to treat the system as a pension plan with Trustees, where the money CAN'T be commandeered by greedy politicians.

"...because you are fundamentally stupid."

You still haven't done the models for SS during 2007-2008, and the 1930s, have you?

Go ahead, bask in your ignorance. Your plan is to have NO insurer of last resort. Talk about dumfuqs!

"you work at the flying J catching the overflow traffic"

Can this dude post anything aside from his fantasies???

Pro tip: if EVERYTHING makes you think of Truck Stop Sex...it's you.

"We know for a fact that SS goes bankrupt in the next 10 years"

Not if we don't allow it. 1 additional point for both the worker and the employer puts SS into balance for 75 years.

Anyone calling SS a Ponzi scheme is a moron who doesn't understand equations or definitions. In fact, the equation produced a SURPLUS at first, after Reagan raised withholding rates. And we knew then. the surplus would drop below zero sometime around 2011.

"Have the fund invest in the market and earn market returns - no other fix is required"

Moronic. You're leaving fates to the whim of the marketplace. Had Dubya gotten his way, the system would've collapsed during the 2007-2008 meltdown. Same with a decade like the 30s.

As I've pointed out, WE TRIED THAT BEFORE. That's WHY we have Social Security.

"I can post the gif of Obama and others doing the same thing"

NOT the same thing, especially without context.

But you knew that.

Intellectually dishonest, wouldn't you say?

Philly, get in here! I want access to some BOMBZ!

"Now tie this back to any of the changes Trump made."

How about if you show us how cutting a double-digit percentage of the workforce improves output?

"They way they do that is by investing in the market. How stupid are you?"

Well, my version doesn't include the parent company going belly up. Yours does.

Who is your insurer of last resort? Because we tried that being the worker, and it failed miserably. That's why we have Social Security; the reason is in the name.

Tell us: What happens to your theory during a 10-year retirement with returns mirroring a start in November 1929?

And what would've happened to the system if we were all in, during the 2007-2008 Bush Bust & Bailout?

" those same Lumpers will say go after employers."

That's because they're going after the root of the problem, and not a symptom.

I always thought a lumper was a "proggie" by another name.

"Last year, they earned 9.3%."

Last year was a banner year for investments, under a Biden economy.

Let's see how they do with Trump at the helm. From all markers, it looks like stagflation is in our future.

Nobody "requires" SS to only return 2%; it's politicians who spend the spread. Real Trustees would've guaranteed a much more lucrative retirement, and doubtless reset the balance between SS and Medicare: less could've gone to the former, and more to the latter.

Instead, we got crooks and thieves.

If we were really serious, members of Congress would have to reveal all investments to Trustees, who would then invest with that knowledge.

"Literally every pension fund, including CalPERs, CalSTRs, TIAA CREF, etc do exactly that."

Do what? Plan future payouts with Bonds at 2%, and annual compounded Market returns of 12%?!? In what world?!?

I've seen more like 3-4% and 8-9%, as a Trustee of a pension fund.

"Will it happen again, unlikely"

You missed the salient "tell". EVERYONE in that group has a pro-active DUTY to insure security. EVERY ONE of them had the responsibility to SPEAK UP, and demand security.

Since NONE of them did, nor are they aghast at themselves for their failure, the conclusion is clear: this wasn't a one-off, this was SOP.

Vlad is probably dismayed the US might stop using Signal.

"By October, even the President had to acknowledge that his effort had failed."

He also acknowledged his proposed fix wouldn't address the central funding problem.

"Can you explain?"

He was Jason Bourne in the movie series.

"This is where Boaz says Charity should rightfully replace those wrong-headed Government Programs"

The quickest way to admit you're using Republican Math.

Societal needs would dwarf charities' capabilities.

Every year at Christmas my older brother and I exchange political gag gifts. One year I got a Maga hat, and he got a pink ----- hat. Another year I did a mock-up for a Trump NFT. This past Christmas, I got a T-shirt with the red and blue voting counties delineated.

"Oh look at the fine print" I said. "Blue counties represent 70% of GDP."

This year, I'm going to get him a "We are clean on OPSEC" T-shirt, and a "Gulf of Mexico" hat.