The Social Security Trust Funds and Public Saving

Author(s):  
Thomas L. Hungerford
2015 ◽  
Vol 29 (2) ◽  
pp. 239-258 ◽  
Author(s):  
Konstantin Kashin ◽  
Gary King ◽  
Samir Soneji

We offer an evaluation of the Social Security Administration demographic and financial forecasts used to assess the long-term solvency of the Social Security Trust Funds. This same forecasting methodology is also used in evaluating policy proposals put forward by Congress to modify the Social Security program. Ours is the first evaluation to compare the SSA forecasts with observed truth; for example, we compare forecasts made in the 1980s, 1990s, and 2000s with outcomes that are now available. We find that Social Security Administration forecasting errors—as evaluated by how accurate the forecasts turned out to be—were approximately unbiased until 2000 and then became systematically biased afterward, and increasingly so over time. Also, most of the forecasting errors since 2000 are in the same direction, consistently misleading users of the forecasts to conclude that the Social Security Trust Funds are in better financial shape than turns out to be the case. Finally, the Social Security Administration's informal uncertainty intervals appear to have become increasingly inaccurate since 2000. At present, the Office of the Chief Actuary, at the Social Security Administration, does not reveal in full how its forecasts are made. Every future Trustees Report, without exception, should include a routine evaluation of all prior forecasts, and a discussion of what forecasting mistakes were made, what was learned from the mistakes, and what actions might be taken to improve forecasts going forward. And the Social Security Administration and its Office of the Chief Actuary should follow best practices in academia and many other parts of government and make their forecasting procedures public and replicable, and should calculate and report calibrated uncertainty intervals for all forecasts.


Upravlenie ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
pp. 93-97 ◽  
Author(s):  
Аксенов ◽  
P. Aksenov ◽  
Емельянов ◽  
S. Emelyanov

The article examines main trends in financing the federal debt, pointing out its structure, with focus on the role of pension funds as a source of financing; because the surplus of Social Security funds is loaned to the rest of the government; interlinks concerning this process and possible problems; the peculiarities of the federal government pension system’s investment in the government bonds. The US public debt as a share of GDP is much less than in many countries, but its volume is near 20 trln. doll. It may be classified by marketable and non-marketable securities, which are mainly owed to certain government trust funds such as the Social Security trust fund. So the Social Security trust fund, in effect is exchanging one type of debt for the other, taking into consideration that the non-marketable securities represent amounts owed to the beneficiaries. The reserves are in effect borrowed for a time by the rest of the government, and then repaid with interest when the trust funds need them back. Looking ahead Social Security will continue to be financed through its own receipts, mainly payroll tax; and Social Security Trust Fund surplus will become diminishing, with less possibilities to finance federal debt.


Author(s):  
Robert E. Pritchard ◽  
Gregory C. Potter

Based on an extensive literature review this paper discusses the interrelationships among the increasing numbers of Senior Citizens and the costs of Social Security and healthcare. This discussion includes information on Social Security pertaining to its funding and the Social Security Trust Funds. The paper notes that both the costs of Social Security and healthcare are directly related to improving healthcare. The ongoing improvements in healthcare result in increasing numbers of Senior Citizens who demand further improvements in healthcare. This leads to increases in longevity adding to healthcare and Social Security costs. Finally, the paper demonstrates the underlying complexities and the lack of consensus of possible changes to improve healthcare.


1977 ◽  
Vol 5 (3) ◽  
pp. 351-372
Author(s):  
Lawrence H. Thompson ◽  
Paul N. Van de Water

2018 ◽  
Vol 50 (3) ◽  
pp. 149-159
Author(s):  
John G. Kilgour

2018 was a pivotal year for the Social Security program. It was the first year since the 1983 amendments that the Old Age, Survivors and Disability Insurance (OASDI) trust funds spent more than they took in. This will continue until they are depleted in 2034. This article examines the operation of the OASDI program with particular attention to its funding. It concludes by questioning the myth that, until 2018, the OASDI trust funds held large amounts of surpluses. There has never been any real money there. It was spent by the Treasury Department as fast as it came in. The OASDI program has always been a pay-as-you-go system. That should be recognized by anyone involved in crafting a solution to the problem.


2020 ◽  
Vol 91 (6) ◽  
pp. 7-18
Author(s):  
О. Skydan ◽  
◽  
О. Nykolyuk ◽  
P. Pyvovar ◽  
P. Topolnytskyi ◽  
...  

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