Mainstream financial planner advice has been pessimistic about Social Security for > 10 years. Of course, the incentive is easy, any financial planner benefits

Mainstream financial planner advice has been pessimistic about Social Security for > 10 years. Of course, the incentive is easy, any financial planner benefits more if you invest more. Major changes that drastically affect Social Security - Changing the Retirement Age, even adding a 3rd progression delay (for people who will keep working or have some savings) and pegging this to U.S. life expectancy. - Changing the survivors benefits payouts and required minimum distributions (arguably, if the middle and lower class has more 2 family incomes, these make less sense.) - (Biggest) Changes to healthcare. A large portion of Social Security right now goes right back into the hands of long term nursing homes. In addition, you have medical expenses related to "retirement living communities"; I'm not very sure that as boomers age even more into nursing homes, that those well prepared will be able to find supply. I also look forward to the eventual reform of Social Security to allow more diverse investment methods. Whichever President is in office when age based asset diversification is added to SS will see a huge market boom!