05-17-2009, 01:33 AM
Having reached the qualifying age myself not long ago, I say welcome and hold on for the ride!
Quote "I'll settle for a lump-sum, non-taxable, interest-accumulated cash refund for all the social security and medicare payments made by me and my employers".
Well good luck on the lump sum!! I settled for an early retirement and a stipend of a pension (should have held out for more and put more into the pot), most of my friends took the lump sum dollars. What they didn't loose in 1999 and left in the stock market, they have now taken a second hit on in 2008! Now what would have happened to Social Security if it was market invested? What would social security look like today if the fund was left alone and now used for wars from Vietnam to Iraq and Afghanistan? We'll never know.
What little I had invested was also hit in 1999 and 2008, to the point that I am drawing a social security check WAY before I planned to. I wanted to wait until 65 or longer to qualify for the maximum as I've been putting into that system for 44 plus years.
So Happy Birthday to Centipede and here's to you keeping up with self maintenance!
mella l
Quote "I'll settle for a lump-sum, non-taxable, interest-accumulated cash refund for all the social security and medicare payments made by me and my employers".
Well good luck on the lump sum!! I settled for an early retirement and a stipend of a pension (should have held out for more and put more into the pot), most of my friends took the lump sum dollars. What they didn't loose in 1999 and left in the stock market, they have now taken a second hit on in 2008! Now what would have happened to Social Security if it was market invested? What would social security look like today if the fund was left alone and now used for wars from Vietnam to Iraq and Afghanistan? We'll never know.
What little I had invested was also hit in 1999 and 2008, to the point that I am drawing a social security check WAY before I planned to. I wanted to wait until 65 or longer to qualify for the maximum as I've been putting into that system for 44 plus years.
So Happy Birthday to Centipede and here's to you keeping up with self maintenance!
mella l
mella l
Art and Science
bytheSEA
Art and Science
bytheSEA