Worried About Social Security? Prepare Now!

Are you worried about Social Security's future? Well, join the crowd.

As the national debt soars, the pressure on Washington to cut spending is rising. Social Security is bound to become a part of the cost-cutting conversation.

The program is projected to pay out more this year than it takes in, which is as much a function of the weak economy as it is an aging population. The New York Times reports that, if nothing changes, Social Security will be able to pay full benefits through 2037 after which, payroll taxes will only provide enough income to pay out about only 75% of benefits.

Most experts agree that the program needs to be bolstered for the long-term. Some proposed solutions are:

1. Raise the retirement age to 70 for people who are at least 20 years away from retirement,
2. Increase the Social Security payroll tax,
3. Subject more income to the payroll tax,
4. Reduce initial benefit payments and
5. Cut cost of living increases to beneficiaries (this would affect current retirees).

Don't like these options? Too bad. At least some combination of them will be required in order to keep the program alive, in the long-term.

What can you do about it? Stop depending on the government (and your employer) for your retirement. The government has shown that it cannot be financially responsible and most companies today do not offer pensions. Instead, they offer 401(k) or 403(b) plans that require employee contributions. The company then manages these plans (some times ineffectively). When they employee retires, they are then able to take distributions from the plan's contributions and earnings.

To be successful in retirement, you need to do what made you successful before you retired-rely on yourself. There is a way for individuals to create their own Personal Protected Pension Plan! This type of plan is protected from market loss, grows tax-free, can a accessed tax-free and anything remaining after your death can be passed to your heirs, tax-free.
Does this sound too good to be true? Do you want to learn more? You can explore this fascinating concept in detail in the Personal Protected Pension Plan section of our website. I encourage you learn all that you can so that you can take charge of your own financial future.