What do YOU want?

Favorite quotations, etc.
User avatar
GandK
Posts: 2059
Joined: Mon Sep 19, 2011 1:00 pm

Re: What do YOU want?

Post by GandK »

RealPerson wrote:Also, since the biggest risk is the sequence risk, someone who retired at 30 will be aware of a sequence related problem at age 35 or 40. Plenty of time to make a course correction. This is not a surprise problem that pops up at age 69.5.
Yes. Anyone who is inclined to plan (everyone on this board) will be keeping up with legal changes regarding SS and all other retirement funds, and will know what he or she will be able to draw and when. And we will make the appropriate course corrections as soon as possible.

(Curious... are any Americans younger than 50 not considering SS as icing on their cake? Is anybody counting on it to fund their living expenses? I've never asked that question IRL and gotten a "yes." Maybe somebody here is?)

Regarding potential cuts: I think that, given the current political climate, most SS benefit cuts when they come will be aimed at higher earners. Since most people here are practicing "elegant economy," I doubt that we will see significant cuts. The biggest "cut" most of us could face is an increased retirement age. I think there's a 50/50 chance that will happen... it's the most obvious fix IMO, but most retirement policy wonks are against it because it disproportionally affects manual laborers and certain ethnic groups.

As far as my own family goes, I'm more afraid*** of continued currency devaluation and of a VAT being introduced here than I am of SS cuts.

***If you can call never thinking about this unless someone brings up SS cuts "fear."

henrik
Posts: 757
Joined: Fri Apr 13, 2012 5:58 pm
Location: EE

Re: What do YOU want?

Post by henrik »

GandK wrote:an increased retirement age /.../ disproportionally affects manual laborers and certain ethnic groups.
What does the retirement age have to do with the type of the job or ethnicity?

jacob
Site Admin
Posts: 15907
Joined: Fri Jun 28, 2013 8:38 pm
Location: USA, Zone 5b, Koppen Dfa, Elev. 620ft, Walkscore 77
Contact:

Re: What do YOU want?

Post by jacob »

@henrik - Manual labour gets worn out [physically] more quickly than white collar. In the US, ethnicity (and gender) is still a determining factor in terms of having high income types of jobs.

Carlos
Posts: 152
Joined: Sun Aug 15, 2010 3:51 pm
Location: Southeastern USA

Re: What do YOU want?

Post by Carlos »

@henrik, also part of the rationale for increasing the retirement age is that people are living longer. To the extent that certain ethnic groups or genders aren't showing the same improvement in life expectancy they would be impacted. Ethnicity A might have increased the average life span by 1 year whereas ethnicity B by 0.5 years due to a genetic propensity for high blood pressure/diabetes for example.

henrik
Posts: 757
Joined: Fri Apr 13, 2012 5:58 pm
Location: EE

Re: What do YOU want?

Post by henrik »

Ok, got it, I was thinking along completely illogical lines:)

BRUTE
Posts: 3797
Joined: Sat Dec 26, 2015 5:20 pm

Re: What do YOU want?

Post by BRUTE »

if white people earn more money on average due to better jobs on average, they can also buy better health care and better treatments than average. this could lead to higher life expectancy on average.

hypothetically, of course.

DeanPeacock
Posts: 9
Joined: Wed Jun 01, 2016 7:24 am

Re: What do YOU want?

Post by DeanPeacock »

To my thinking it is not bad to want some material things sometimes they mean more than that (renown, love etc)

leeholsen
Posts: 325
Joined: Tue Apr 16, 2013 6:38 pm

Re: What do YOU want?

Post by leeholsen »

I have read many books on the universe, religion, history, economics and most everything else and have come to conclude one person can't really have any affect on anything and everything accomplished will usually be brushed over a week after you are dead; so just enjoy the time you have.

I want to live in a mountain town, would love to spend the rest of my days in Breckenrigde Colorado; but I don't want to work long enough to be able to buy the house i want there. So, it's a house in a nice town(like Manchester) and a good dog. I can keep myself occupied enough with my own interests to need to keep a job/career or join any group.

Post Reply