ISIL Freedom Network: United States > Scholarly and In-Depth Studies > Social Security

The power of compounding and Social Security
Source: National Center for Policy Analysis
Country: United States

Compounding interest, if harnessed correctly, can save Social Security while ensuring a safe, comfortable and secure retirement for even the lowest-income Americans. (10/12/00)

Social Security and market Risk
Source: NCPA
Author: Liqun Liu, Andrew J. Rettenmaier and Zijun Wang
Country: United States

"Although there is a common perception that stocks are more risky than bonds, stocks outperformed bonds in every one of the 95 periods. ... Furthermore, the performance of the capital markets is much better than what young people today can expect on their Social Security payroll tax dollars." (07/01)

State and Local Government Retirement Programs: Lessons in Alternatives to Social Security
Source: Cato Institute
Author: Carrie Lips
Country: United States

"Approximately five million state and local employees are exempt from Social Security and instead participate in retirement plans administered on the state and local levels. The history of those retirement plans provides valuable information for policymakers attempting to reform the federal program." Policy Analysis. Full text in Adobe Acrobat. (3/99)

Structuring and Regulating Individual Social Security Accounts
Source: Heritage Foundation
Author: David C. John
Country: United States

According to John, "the decision to create a Social Security system that includes personal retirement accounts, which would allow workers to invest a portion of their existing Social Security taxes in a personally owned account, is only the first step toward improving Americans' retirement security." (1/22/00)

Greater financial security for women with personal retirement accounts
Source: The Cato Institute
Author: Darcy Ann Olsen
Country: United States

In the current Social Security system women tend, on average, to get fewer benefits than men. A fully private retirement system would provide women with greater financial resources. (9/16/99)

Social Security personal account reform alternatives
Source: ATR
Author: Peter Ferrara
Country: United States

"[A] strong, substantial, personal account option will unwind the long term Social Security deficits, and eliminate the program's unfunded liabilities, with nothing more than the positive features of personal accounts." (5/27/03)

Clinton's Newest Social Security Plan: From Bad to Worse
Source: Heritage Foundation
Author: David C. John
Country: United States

President Clinton's new plan to "save" Social Security "is at least as bad as the first one." (10/28/99)

Social Security Is Still a Hopelessly Bad Deal for Today’s Workers
Source: The Cato Institute
Author: Peter J. Ferrara
Country: United States

Peter Ferrara refutes a recent study suggesting that Social Security will provide "higher returns and benefits than a system of personal investment accounts for all workers today." This report is in Adobe PDF. (11/99)

KidSave: an innovative step toward better retirement security
Source: Heritage Foundation
Author: David C. John
Country: United States

John discusses a bipartisan proposal to give every child a $2,000 loan at birth from Social Security. The money could be used only to open a "KidSave" account, and funds could be withdrawn only at retirement or if the owner were to die before then. Even if no other money is ever added to the account, the loan could grow to $250,000 by retirement. (10/25/00)

Americans support personal retirement accounts
Source: NCPA
Author: Bill McInturff and Matt Moore
Country: United States

"Polls consistently demonstrate the popularity of personal retirement accounts as an alternative to the current Social Security system." (8/14/00)

Salvaging Social Security: The incredible shrinking trust fund, and what we can do about it
Source: Institute for Policy Innovation
Country: United States

"In only six short years, the Social Security trust fund has lost $8.8 trillion, or three-fourths of its projected balance. This study explains what happened, and what we can do about it." (Adobe Acrobat plugin required) (4/1/95)

The Archer-Shaw Social Security plan: laying the groundwork for another S&L crisis
Source: The Cato Institute
Author: Andrew G. Biggs
Country: United States

In this study Andrew Biggs criticizes a new Social Security plan that would allow workers to invest retirement funds in the stock market, but would have the government protect workers against any losses. The report is available in Adobe PDF. (2/16/00)

Property Rights: The hidden issue of Social Security reform
Source: The Cato Institute
Author: Charles E. Rounds Jr.
Country: United States

"The U.S. Supreme Court [has] ruled that Social Security taxes are simply taxes and convey no property or contractual rights to Social Security benefits." Charles Rounds makes the case for Social Security reform on the basis of property rights. This report is available in Adobe PDF. (4/19/00)

Who pays the payroll tax?
Source: Heritage Foundation
Author: D Mark Wilson
Country: United States

Wilson discusses the tax and income dynamics of our Social Security program. (3/2/00)

Social Security and Medicare nightmares
Source: NCPA
Author: Matt Moore
Country: United States

"Higher taxes to meet the future burdens of Social Security and Medicare are inevitable. However, by replacing the pay-as-you-go structure of these programs with a partially fully funded system, the government can provide secure retirement benefits without skyrocketing tax rates and at least ameliorate the nightmare in our future." (05/18/01)

Social Security: is it a 'crisis that doesn't exist'?
Source: The Cato Project on Social Security Privatization
Author: Andrew G. Biggs
Country: United States

Unlikely as it may seems, the fiercest defenders of Social Security insist that the program does not and will not be facing a financial crisis, because economic growth will wash it away. Biggs takes on the crisis-deniers. (10/5/00)

The Social Security Right to Know Act: Telling the truth about the future
Source: Heritage Foundation
Author: David C. John
Country: United States

According to John, "Most Americans know far too little about the Social Security program." John makes some recommendations as to how Congress can ensure Americans have the best information available on Social Security. (5/00)

Facilitating fraud: how SSDI gives benefits to the able bodied
Source: The Cato Institute
Author: James M. Taylor
Country: United States

"Policymakers are ignoring one way in which [Social Security] spends more than it should." This report examines fraud in the Social Security Disability Insurance program. It is available in Adobe PDF. (8/15/00)

Saving Social Security is not enough
Source: The Cato Institute
Author: Michael Tanner
Country: United States

This report examines how Social Security has failed its purpose as both an anti-poverty and as a retirement program. The full report is available in Adobe PDF. (5/25/00)

Disparate Impact: Social Security and African Americans
Source: The Cato Institute
Author: Michael Tanner
Country: United States

This report looks in detail at the advantages of Social Security reform as it pertains to African Americans. It is available in Adobe PDF. (2/5/01)

Reengineering Social Security in the New Economy
Source: The Cato Institute
Author: Thomas F. Siems
Country: United States

This study examines the need of transforming Social Security from a pay-as-you-go system to one based on "individually owned, privately invested accounts." It is available in Adobe PDF. (1/23/00)

Reducing the Social Security benefits tax
Source: NCPA
Author: Stephen J. Entin
Country: United States

Repeal of the taxes paid by middle- and upper-income Social Security recipients on up to 85 percent of their benefits is an important step because the peculiar method employed to tax Social Security benefits imposes some of the highest and most destructive marginal tax rates in the entire tax code. (8/10/00)

Privatizing social security the right way
Source: Independent Institute
Author: Laurence J. Kotlikoff
Country: United States

"Unless Social Security benefits are drastically reduced or the system is privatized, taxpayers can expect to see Social Security payroll taxes raised by 50%, bringing total payroll taxes, including Medicare taxes, to as high as 25%. Full privatization could achieve all of the legitimate goals of Social Security while accelerating economic growth." (9/00)

Social Security -- Is it "a crisis that doesn't exist"?
Source: The Cato Institute
Author: Andrew Biggs
Country: United States

"Social Security's crisis is real and may be even larger than commonly thought. While debate may continue over the proper course of action, doing nothing in hopes that the economy will come to the rescue is wishful thinking, at best." The full report that examines Social Security's real problems is available in Adobe PDF. (10/5/00)

Social Security and race
Source: NCPA
Author: Liquin Liu & Andrew J. Rettenmaier
Country: United States

As an investment, Social Security has declined in quality over time, significantly underperforming the market. "[B]lacks do better than whites by net present values but whites do better than blacks by rate of return." (12/00)

Saving the surplus
Source: NCPA
Country: United States

"The first question that must be addressed in the debate over the budget surplus is whether the Social Security surpluses are used to reduce the debt held by the public or to prepay Social Security benefits. ... We have suggested that prepaying Social Security benefits with personal retirement accounts is the best use of the Social Security surpluses." (10/00)

Bringing Social Security into the 21st Century
Source: The Cato Institute
Country: United States

President Bush's Social Security Commission has produced this report stating that "the pension system is 'broken,' and is particularly failing women, blacks, Hispanics and the poor." It is available in Adobe PDF. (07/18/01)

Saving the Social Security surplus
Source: NCPA
Author: Liqun Liu, Andrew J. Rettenmaier and Thomas R. Saving
Country: United States

This report compares two alternative uses of the Social Security surpluses: surpluses are used to allow workers to invest some of their payroll taxes in personal retirement accounts; or use the surplus to pay down government debt and use the interest savings (from lower debt) to pay benefits in future years. (1/01)

Social Security and education
Source: NCPA
Author: Liqun Liu and Andrew J. Rettenmaier
Country: United States

The "investment" in Social Security has become progressively less attractive over time for all groups of workers. ... [F]or workers of any given age today, regardless of family type, the net tax is larger for those with the most education. (1/01)

Saving for a rainy day
Source: NCPA
Author: Andrew J. Rettenmaier
Country: United States

The budget surpluses provide a unique opportunity. By using all of the budget surpluses to fund personal retirement accounts, we could go a long way toward prepaying Social Security. (03/01)

Social Security and women
Source: Heritage Foundation
Country: United States

Many women's organizations oppose allowing workers to have the choice of staying in the current Social Security or opening a Social Security personal retirement account because they believe such a choice would hurt women. They have the facts wrong. (02/01)

Toward a world of worker-capitalists
Source: International Center for Pension Reform
Author: José Piñera
Country: United States
E-mail: icpr@free-market.net

Modified version of the presentation by José Piñera at the Boston Conversazioni, touting the positive impacts on workers' investment capital that come about as a result of privatizing social pension plans. (Spring, 1997)

Ending the Social Security earnings limit -- for everyone
Source: Institute for Policy Innovation
Author: Merrill Matthews
Country: United States

"In 2000 Congress ended the Social Security retirement earnings test for retirees 65 years and older, but the earnings test remains for early retirees ages 62-64. This Issue Brief lays out the case for eliminating the retirement earnings test for all retirees." It is available in Adobe PDF. (05/03/01)

Straight talk about the Social Security trust fund
Source: NCPA
Author: Matt Moore and John C. Goodman
Country: United States

"Like most government-sponsored retirement programs in the world today, our Social Security system is pay-as-you-go. All payroll tax revenues are spent -- the very minute, the very hour, the very day they are received by the U.S. Treasury." (08/10/01)

The Trust Fund, the Surplus, and the Real Social Security Problem
Source: The Cato Institute
Author: June O'Neill
Country: United States

This report breaks down the myths of the Social Security "trust fund," "lock boxes," and "raided surpluses" to examine the real problems with Social Security. It is available in Adobe PDF. (04/09/02)

The failed critique of personal accounts
Source: The Cato Institute
Author: Peter Ferrara
Country: United States

This study addresses the "barrage of objections and criticisms" coming from the opponents of Social Security privatization. It is available in Adobe PDF. (10/08/01)

No risky scheme: Retirement Savings Accounts that are personal and safe
Source: Institute for Policy Innovation
Author: Merrill Matthews
Country: United States

This study examines the viability of privatizing Social Security by looking at the Galveston Model. It is available in Adobe PDF. (09/27/01)

Analyzing the 2002 Social Security trustees report
Source: NCPA
Author: John C. Goodman and Matt Moore
Country: United States

"Is Social Security in financial trouble? If you believe a press release issued by the Trustees of the Social Security and Medicare Trust Funds, the answer is no. If you go to the fine print of their annual report, however, the answer is a resounding yes." (04/15/02)

Is war between generations inevitable?
Source: NCPA
Author: Jagadeesh Gokhale and Laurence J. Kotlikoff
Country: United States

"By the year 2030 -- the midpoint of the baby boomer retirement years -- the cost of elderly entitlement programs will be about double what it is today, relative to the national income. That means we will either have to double the payroll tax rate (currently 15.3 percent) or cut every benefit in half." (10/30/01)

Government spending on the elderly: Social Security and Medicare
Source: NCPA
Author: John C. Goodman and Matt Moore
Country: United States

"[B]y the time the first of the baby boomers begin to retire, Social Security and Medicare will begin paying out more in benefits than they collect in payroll tax revenues. As a result, taxes will have to rise." (11/01)

The impact of Social Security reform on low-income workers
Source: The Cato Institute
Author: Jagadeesh Gokhale
Country: United States

This report examines the possible effects of Social Security reform on low-income workers. "[A] system of individual accounts would allow workers to accumulate real and bequeathable wealth, leading ultimately to greater overall equality of wealth." The full report is available in Adobe PDF. (12/06/01)

The impact of Social Security reform on low-income workers
Source: The Cato Institute
Author: Jagadeesh Gokhale
Country: United States

This report examines the effects of Social Security reform on low-income workers. It concludes that Social Security privatization is the truly progressive option for reform. It is available in Adobe PDF. (12/06/01)

Reinventing retirement income in America
Source: NCPA
Author: Brooks Hamilton and Scott Burns
Country: United States

"[M]ore than 42 million workers now participate in defined contribution retirement plans, primarily 401(k) plans, which specify the annual contributions to an employee's pension fund. A worker's contributions to these plans, the employer's vested match and any interest or dividends reinvested in the plan are the worker's property." (12/01)

A proposed legal, regulatory, and operational structure for an investment-based Social Security system
Source: The Cato Institute
Author: Karl J. Borden and Charles E. Rounds Jr.
Country: United States

"In this study, Karl Borden and Charles Rounds offer a proposal for the regulatory and administrative structure of individual accounts. The core of their proposal is the private retirement account (PRA), which more closely resembles the individual retirement account model than the 401(k) model." It is available in Adobe PDF. (02/19/02)

Hybrid Social Security reform plan
Source: NCPA
Author: John C. Goodman
Country: United States

"The federal government can fulfill its promises to younger workers without raising payroll taxes when today's 20-year-olds retire, according to a plan proposed by the National Center for Policy Analysis (NCPA). Also, the plan would solve the system's long-term financial problems." (12/18/01)

No second best: The unappetizing alternatives to Social Security privatization
Source: The Cato Institute
Author: Michael Tanner
Country: United States

This reports examines the alternatives to Social Security privatization and concludes that Americans will choose to take control over their retirement funds through individual accounts. It is available in Adobe PDF. (01/29/02)

Retiring with dignity: Social Security vs. private markets
Source: SSO
Author: William G Shipman
Country: United States

"Allow people the freedom to invest their Federal Insurance Contributions Act (FICA) taxes in financial assets such as stocks and bonds. History shows that the financial return on those instruments meets retirement needs at a fraction of Social Security's cost." (8/03)

Social security reform
Source: Empower America
Country: United States

Draft report from President's Commission on strengthening social security.

Does it pay both spouses to work?
Source: NCPA
Author: Laurence J. Kotlikoff and Jagadeesh Gokhale
Country: United States

"By incorporating all of the fiscal policies that affect households through time, our model is able to calculate the lifetime consequences of employment. We conclude that because working couples are required to participate in Social Security, they are worse off than they otherwise would be." (5/14/03)

Two cheers for the commission to strengthen Social Security
Source: NCPA
Author: Matt Moore
Country: United States

"The commission deserves two cheers for its recommendations. (To get a third cheer, we need to evolve to a completely funded, private system.) While they may not be perfect, the three options provide a starting point for Congress and the public to begin a serious discussion about the future of Social Security." (12/01)

Personal Accounts in a down market: How recent stock market declines affect the Social Security reform debate
Source: The Cato Institute
Author: Andrew Biggs
Country: United States

In this report Biggs offers evidence showing that today's stock market declines do not contradict the case for personal retirement accounts. It is available in Adobe PDF. (09/10/02)

Perspectives on the President's Commission to strengthen Social Security
Source: The Cato Institute
Author: Andrew G. Biggs
Country: United States

Biggs provides an analysis of the three proposals put forth by President Bush's Commission to Strengthen Social Security. Full report available as a PDF file. (08/22/02)

Testimony on reform proposals for Social Security
Source: Cato Institute
Author: Andrew Biggs
Country: United States

"Personal accounts would ... pay higher benefits at lower cost than alternatives lacking private market investment, making reform less painful than it otherwise would be." (PDF file) (10/03/02)

To recommend changes in this directory, e-mail isil@isil.org.

	Search WWW Search ISIL