Trump Tax Plan Explained

If you paid the SSA premiums - which we all know are required, it's not like can opt out - then you certainly are entitled to the SSA benefits. Expecting to get your SSA payments as agreed is not entitlement, it's business. Trust me, if I had had the choice when I started working to forgo SSA payments and be on my own for retirement, I sure as heck would have done that. Unfortunately social security is just a miss managed pension fund. I like most people my age have paid 10's of thousands of dollars into the system - if that money had been invested in my 401k like my other contributions, I would be much better off. So yes, in that regard, the government owes me a lot of money. Now, if Uncle Sam wants to refund all my contributions and call it square (I'll even forget about the lost investment on those $$) and let me roll those $$'s into my 401k, I would be willing to call us even. Now THAT would be a nice tax plan. Problem is Uncle Sam spent my SSA contributions on other things - he doesn't have the money any more. I think if an insurance or mutual fund company did the same thing, that would be illegal - ask Bernie Madoff.
 
Typical attitude of people from your generation. You think your entitled to everything. Social security is the worst government program ever enacted. It's been so used and abused. My wife and I are in our early 40s we have both worked our butts off our whole lives. I have worked 12 hour days 7 days a week. But we know when we come of age to retire. social security will be so far in the hole there won't be anything left for us. But fortunately we worked and saved and invested enough so we'll be ok. We won't need the younger generation to take care of us. Why don't you give me your address? Maybe next Sunday after work I'll have a couple free hours. I can wax your boat.
Wow, you just don’t get Satire, do you?
Lighten up a Little and have a Happy New Years
 
The problem is Bill. When we go to retire. Social security is going to be so broke the government is going to pick and choose who gets payments. People who pissed their money away and have nothing will get payments. The government will look at guys like you and I who invested and saved wisely and say. You don't need social security payments. Even though you contributed to it your whole life. So in actuality we screwed ourselves by investing and saving wisely.
 
I just like to bitch. It's -20f here right now. What else is there to do?
I feel for you. If I were a liberal I’d feel guilty about spending three weeks across the holidays in Maui where it’s 75f and buy some carbon credits to do my part to fix “climate change” I helped cause by operating my big diesel powered boat. Stay warm and keep bitching. It does provide some entertainment anyway.
 
The problem is Bill. When we go to retire. Social security is going to be so broke the government is going to pick and choose who gets payments. People who pissed their money away and have nothing will get payments. The government will look at guys like you and I who invested and saved wisely and say. You don't need social security payments. Even though you contributed to it your whole life. So in actuality we screwed ourselves by investing and saving wisely.
You're abut a generation behind me and I feel badly that the government is using your dollars to pay what they owe us, but your gripe is with the government. I started collecting a year and a half ago when I turned 62 and have no guilt at all about it.
We acted in good faith and did exactly what we were supposed to do. Had I been able to take my contributions and all of those made by employers on my behalf dating back to my first part time job as a kid 50 years ago and invested that money in a 401K type plan for all of those years I would be collecting a lot more than I am now
 
I feel for you. If I were a liberal I’d feel guilty about spending three weeks across the holidays in Maui where it’s 75f and buy some carbon credits to do my part to fix “climate change” I helped cause by operating my big diesel powered boat. Stay warm and keep bitching. It does provide some entertainment anyway.
Ya climate change, that's another pile of b.s. I woke up to -25 this morning. But it did warm up to a balmy -6 today.
 
Ya climate change, that's another pile of b.s. I woke up to -25 this morning. But it did warm up to a balmy -6 today.

Soooo you’re having some cold (weather) in your tiny corner of the world. Nothing to do with climate change. Climate change is the change in patterns over time the world over, and the pattern is a global average temperature increase that is in fact happening (at an alarming rate). Whether you believe in it or not doesn’t really matter. That’s the funny thing about facts. Facts are what is, no matter what you or anyone else says.
 
Soooo you’re having some cold (weather) in your tiny corner of the world. Nothing to do with climate change. Climate change is the change in patterns over time the world over, and the pattern is a global average temperature increase that is in fact happening (at an alarming rate). Whether you believe in it or not doesn’t really matter. That’s the funny thing about facts. Facts are what is, no matter what you or anyone else says.
Global warming is a fact? I don't hardly think so. There are several studies to the contrary. Is global warming real? Not likely. Does human activity have anything to do with it? Even less likely. Just my opinion of course.
 
Global warming is a fact? I don't hardly think so. There are several studies to the contrary. Is global warming real? Not likely. Does human activity have anything to do with it? Even less likely. Just my opinion of course.

Yes, that is your opinion and I’m not going to argue with you. As I stated before it is what it is ..and whether you (or I for that matter) believe in it, doesn’t really matter. It still is.
 
Yes, that is your opinion and I’m not going to argue with you. As I stated before it is what it is ..and whether you (or I for that matter) believe in it, doesn’t really matter. It still is.

The earth is flat whether you or I believe it, doesn't really matter. It still is.

see what I did there?
 
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The earth is flat whether you or I believe it, doesn't really matter. It still is.

see what I did there?

Not much difference between flat Earther’s and climate change deniers. Despite irrefutable scientific evidence, they both believe in the contrary. Fortunately they are both in the minority.
 
I started paying into SSA in....ready for this....1961. So do you think I feel bad about collecting my social security payments now?

The problem with social security is not with the program. The program, as it was set up, worked fine. The problem was/is with the politicians who have used the money to pay for many other things. They have pumped the well dry and now are scrambling trying to figure out how they're going to be able to continue making payments to those of us who paid into it for decades.
 
The problem with social security is not with the program. The program, as it was set up, worked fine. The problem was/is with the politicians who have used the money to pay for many other things. .

Indeed. What I am afraid of, seeing as SS is based on IOU's now, is when we have another regime change, the possibility of Gov dipping their grubby hands into private savings / retirement accounts to fund SS. Heck, the last administration was mulling over taxing 529's. Similar programs have been implemented in the EU in regards to taking money from personal savings, we are not immune. It will be under the guise of the 'Greater Good', so we 'all' can get a retirement.

The thing that irks me about SS is that when I die, be it a week after retirement eligibility lets say, I can't Will my SS to my Grandchildren like I could with my savings - so this 'entitlement' isn't really mine.

I enjoyed the original post GFC.
 
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Not much difference between flat Earther’s and climate change deniers. Despite irrefutable scientific evidence, they both believe in the contrary. Fortunately they are both in the minority.

Sorry. A consensus isn't 'Scientific Evidence' or theory.

Was the climate warmer or cooler when the Pilgrims landed on Plymouth Rock? What is the proper climate? There was a consensus, ruled as Scientific Fact in the early 70's to mid 80's that we were in a Mini-Ice age - what happened to that consensus? Why did NASA as well as the GISS tamper & manipulate data to prove their theory to the public? If the manipulated data was never uncovered, would that still be the basis for the Scientific consensus? Is it still the basis for the Scientific Consensus? What about the 32,000 Scientists that disagree, many of whom have PhD's in Climatology?
 
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I too am very skeptical of "Climate Change" as it pertains to humans killing the Earth. I have no doubt climate shifts, as it has been doing that for thousands of years (per ice core testing). Levels of CO2 have risen and dropped time and time again.

What I am skeptical about;

Take Al Gore for example, nothing he stated that would happen actually happened. This began a false flag crisis to grab power and redistribute wealth. "Global Warming" was re-coined to "Climate Change" when nothing negative happened over an 18 year period, and the Earth actually cooled slightly.

Those who believe people like Gore should take a closer look at scientists who claim Climate Change is real, and those who deny it. Those who claim it's true get government grants, those who deny it do not. This is not a coincidence.

If you paid the SSA premiums - which we all know are required, it's not like can opt out - then you certainly are entitled to the SSA benefits. Expecting to get your SSA payments as agreed is not entitlement, it's business. Trust me, if I had had the choice when I started working to forgo SSA payments and be on my own for retirement, I sure as heck would have done that. Unfortunately social security is just a miss managed pension fund. I like most people my age have paid 10's of thousands of dollars into the system - if that money had been invested in my 401k like my other contributions, I would be much better off. So yes, in that regard, the government owes me a lot of money. Now, if Uncle Sam wants to refund all my contributions and call it square (I'll even forget about the lost investment on those $$) and let me roll those $$'s into my 401k, I would be willing to call us even. Now THAT would be a nice tax plan. Problem is Uncle Sam spent my SSA contributions on other things - he doesn't have the money any more. I think if an insurance or mutual fund company did the same thing, that would be illegal - ask Bernie Madoff.

Do you know what the difference is between a Ponzi scheme and Social Security? You have the option to enter a Ponzi scheme. It's amazing that Bernie Madoff, and others, went to prison for doing the exact same thing the government does to American citizens with Social Security. I agree with you, if Uncle Sam allowed US citizens to opt out of SS, getting back every dime you paid in, I would cash out today. That money would serve me SO MUCH better in my 401K plan, even more so now that Trump in in office. The rate of return is double digit percent better now than it was when Obama was in power.
 
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Not much difference between flat Earther’s and climate change deniers. Despite irrefutable scientific evidence, they both believe in the contrary. Fortunately they are both in the minority.

Interesting take on my comment. My point was that the earth being flat was once considered to be proven by "irrefutable scientific evidence". To be fair (and I hope you are). I'm not so much a denier as a sceptic, in the true scientific tradition.

Nonetheless, I shan't convince you, and you shan't convince me. Have a great New Year to you and yours.
 
I agree with you, if Uncle Sam allowed US citizens to opt out of SS, getting back every dime their ever paid in, I would cash out today.
Therein lies the problem. If people could take out their SSA contributions many would do it and most of them would invest in high-risk investments (Bitcoin comes to mind). Then, when they lost it all they would come back to Uncle Sam and demand to be put back into the system.

I can just hear them now (poor little uninformed snowflakes)..."Why did you let me take out my money. You should have known I didn't have enough of my free education to know how to invest."
 
Interesting take on my comment. My point was that the earth being flat was once considered to be proven by "irrefutable scientific evidence". To be fair (and I hope you are). I'm not so much a denier as a sceptic, in the true scientific tradition.

Nonetheless, I shan't convince you, and you shan't convince me. Have a great New Year to you and yours.
No no, please continue the "discussion" about climate change, flat earth, and maybe even whether diesel or gas engines are better. It's cold, boat's are wrapped up and we need some entertainment for at least a couple more months. ;)
 
No no, please continue the "discussion" about climate change, flat earth, and maybe even whether diesel or gas engines are better. It's cold, boat's are wrapped up and we need some entertainment for at least a couple more months. ;)

lol. can I put a portable generator on the swim platform?
 

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