primitive wants to move somewhere smaller, cheaper

[I_B_Perky]

Maybe it is just me.   I was just doing my retirement planning with Mrs. FD and the most conservative estimate of my SSI (which I still do not count on) is around $3,000 a month at 65 -- $4,000 if I wait until 70 (which I will do).

So I retro-calculated using different annuals salaries at: http://www.ssa.gov/oact/quickcalc/

I went with a 1/1/1950 birth date which would match the primitive's.  It took more than a few assumptions to come up with a monthly payment less than $700 -- current earnings of $14,000 (with reductions going back accordingly) return a monthly benefit of $693.

I would like to revisit how I was "privileged" (yes I am a white male) -- additional commentary by Maynard G. Krebs/DU primitive whathehell:

* I grew up in poverty -- that is a story for another day
* I studied hard (WORK!) in HS since my Mom made it clear that was the only way to get ahead
* Before that I worked (WORK!) for my dad and was paid less than minimum wage -- and rode my bike an hour each way to do so (WORK!)
* The result of my studies (WORK!) was good grades and a good SAT which led to admission to a very VERY good University
* I also had scholarships and loans (the latter of which I paid 100%) as a result of my work (WORK!) in HS
* I learned my craft (now called IT) in college and graduated (WORK!)
* Upon day 1 of working my first job I continued to learn (WORK!) as much as I could about not only my job but its context -- how what I did affected the entirety within which I did it (WORK!)
* I continued to learn and work my profession for many years (WORK!) -- always learning more about both my profession AND its context (WORK!)
* I planned for tomorrow (WORK!) and invested wisely (WORK!)
* Oh and I work (WORK!) my ass off every day.

I ain't bragging folks -- this is the traditional American dream and how to pursue it.  Anyone who worked their ass off (WORK!) to get a decent living should see red (as I do) when I see terms like "income inequality."  It means I worked (WORK!) while they sat on their dead asses. I am not alone.  There are millions who did the same -- many who also came from poverty.

And for lurking DUmpmonkies, don't try to convince anyone that there are huge swaths of Americans who have been disabled and thus unable to follow this path.  The only thing that results in a Social Security payment of <$700 is lack of work (WORK!).

I wondered about that amount, Freedumb. Seemed awful low to me. I don't even look at SS in my retirement planning because I really don't think it will be there for me. The federal government will see that is going broke by the time I get there and do some kind of means tested BS that will penalize people that that planned for their retirement like they did the last time. Don't matter to me... if I get something out of it great. If I don't, no skin off my ass. I will make it without the fed gov.  I damn sure ain't gonna depend on the government to take care of me... that's for damn sure.   

[Chris_]

I remember my aunt bitching about Social Security at one point.  Because she had saved, invested, and been frugal (as was her husband), all it did was add to her taxable income at the end of the year.

[freedumb2003b]

I wondered about that amount, Freedumb. Seemed awful low to me. I don't even look at SS in my retirement planning because I really don't think it will be there for me. The federal government will see that is going broke by the time I get there and do some kind of means tested BS that will penalize people that that planned for their retirement like they did the last time. Don't matter to me... if I get something out of it great. If I don't, no skin off my ass. I will make it without the fed gov.  I damn sure ain't gonna depend on the government to take care of me... that's for damn sure.   :cheersmate:

I ran 2 scenarios -- 1 with SS, one without.

I am planning on living on the without.  The with just gives me $48K a year in have fun money. I don't have kids so the plan is to die (whichever one of us goes last) with zero $.  Of course, we can't plan that way so I expect Mrs. to outlive me and be more than comfortable until she joins me in the bye and bye.  The remainder will be left to our favorite charities.

 

[BlueStateSaint]

Maybe it is just me.   I was just doing my retirement planning with Mrs. FD and the most conservative estimate of my SSI (which I still do not count on) is around $3,000 a month at 65 -- $4,000 if I wait until 70 (which I will do).

So I retro-calculated using different annuals salaries at: http://www.ssa.gov/oact/quickcalc/

I went with a 1/1/1950 birth date which would match the primitive's.  It took more than a few assumptions to come up with a monthly payment less than $700 -- current earnings of $14,000 (with reductions going back accordingly) return a monthly benefit of $693.

I would like to revisit how I was "privileged" (yes I am a white male) -- additional commentary by Maynard G. Krebs/DU primitive whathehell:

* I grew up in poverty -- that is a story for another day
* I studied hard (WORK!) in HS since my Mom made it clear that was the only way to get ahead
* Before that I worked (WORK!) for my dad and was paid less than minimum wage -- and rode my bike an hour each way to do so (WORK!)
* The result of my studies (WORK!) was good grades and a good SAT which led to admission to a very VERY good University
* I also had scholarships and loans (the latter of which I paid 100%) as a result of my work (WORK!) in HS
* I learned my craft (now called IT) in college and graduated (WORK!)
* Upon day 1 of working my first job I continued to learn (WORK!) as much as I could about not only my job but its context -- how what I did affected the entirety within which I did it (WORK!)
* I continued to learn and work my profession for many years (WORK!) -- always learning more about both my profession AND its context (WORK!)
* I planned for tomorrow (WORK!) and invested wisely (WORK!)
* Oh and I work (WORK!) my ass off every day.

I ain't bragging folks -- this is the traditional American dream and how to pursue it.  Anyone who worked their ass off (WORK!) to get a decent living should see red (as I do) when I see terms like "income inequality."  It means I worked (WORK!) while they sat on their dead asses. I am not alone.  There are millions who did the same -- many who also came from poverty.

And for lurking DUmpmonkies, don't try to convince anyone that there are huge swaths of Americans who have been disabled and thus unable to follow this path.  The only thing that results in a Social Security payment of <$700 is lack of work (WORK!).

I think I see the problem in all of this.  Replace the bolded word with this phrase:  GOVERNMENT HANDOUTS and you'd be a dead ringer for the DUmmies' position.  (Yeah, you'd also have to change the phrasing.)