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The Elephant in The Room: The Gap Between Federal Retiree Benefits and Taxes Paid

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Social Security Reform Should Eliminate Poverty Among the Elderly and Disabled

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How Much Will Future Retirees Receive in Lifetime Social Security and Medicare Benefits?

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What are the Social Security trust funds, and how are they financed?

December 23, 2015 by tpc-admin

Q.

What are the Social Security trust funds, and how are they financed?

A.

Social Security trust funds provide cash benefits for the elderly and disabled as well as for their spouses and dependents. They are funded chiefly through payroll taxes.

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Are the Social Security trust funds real?

December 23, 2015 by tpc-admin

Q.

Are the Social Security trust funds real?

A.

Social Security trust funds are real and hold real Treasury securities for which the federal government has an obligation to pay. They reflect any accumulated excess of Social Security taxes plus other revenues, such as interest received, over expenditures. At the same time, the trust funds “fund” only a portion of outstanding obligations. The trust funds are invested in special-issue Treasury securities backed by the full faith and credit of the federal government.

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