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How many years have you paid into the system? Have you always paid at the top of the wage cap? Are you including both your and your employer's contribution?

yes. 25+ years. capped each year, except 3 between 21 and 24. i am self employed.

i'm expected to receive barely anything.

yet i'm also expected to pay government/public pensions that didn't benefit me or mine in the least.

the CA life guard receiving $210k/yr really drives me batsh*t.

I hate the social security scheme. But I am finding it a bit hard to believe posters who are claiming they put in "$250-350K" over their lifetimes. The current cap is an outlay of less than $7k. In 1970, it was less than $400. In 1990, it was just shy of $4k. In fact, someone who has been gainfully employed for the past 45 years and paid the maximum would have paid in around $130k. Of course, the self employed would have paid in double that.

$130k is a lot of dough. Add in the lost interest and/or the opportunity for capital gain, and it's huge. But there's no reason to state that we've paid in more than we actually have. Such sloppiness unnecessarily undercuts the legitimate arguments against SS.

If you’re self-employed and capping out on SS payments then your ripping your customers off. What gives you the right to rip off your customers when you can be fat, dumb, and happy making $50K a year?