4 ms·

That's appalling. I wish I could offer more than mere sympathy but I'm truly horrified by this.

• SilasX 8y ago
  Why appalling? You also don't have to pay the SS taxes under such schemes and they typically give a better return because they're not effectively invested 100% in government bonds. (The problem, of course, is when someone raids the fund itself.)
  • sp332 8y ago
    But if the spouse did pay SS all their working lives, they should be able to get the benefits.
    • SilasX 8y ago
      Ah, misunderstood that people were reacting to the second sentence ("because of this ..."). That part is definitely stupid. The "spousal benefit" should be considered as attached to the earner and should be unaffected the spouse's waiver of her own accrued SS benefits.
      • deleted 8y ago
        [deleted]
  • mikeash 8y ago
    The whole point of SS is to be a reliable backstop you can count on even if “wiser” investment strategies fail.