Two of my closest Childhood Friends both died at Age 61 from Heart Attacks. They worked their whole lives and they each “contributed” about $250,000 into the SS System.
They don’t care. But if they had spouses, those spouses are getting a death benefit payment every month.
>>>But if they had spouses, those spouses are getting a death benefit payment every month<<<
One was Unmarried. His Family didn’t even get the $255 to pay for the Urn. That money only goes to the immediate Family, Wife and Adolescent Kids and he had neither.
The other was Married, but his Wife was three Years Older and she worked most of her Adult Life making pretty good Money.
She probably ended up with a $100 a Month bump in her SS Check.
FWIW - Our Financial guy did a Spreadsheet (at my request) of how much Money I would have had at age 66 had all the Money I “donated” to SS for nearly 50 Years had been Invested in the Market. He had to make some assumptions, but none of them include a $25,000 Dow.
He calls me up and says, take a guess how much you would have. I reply, One Million Dollars. He says nope, try again. I say $900,000. He says nope, you’re going the wrong way.
His estimate, somewhere between $2.25 Million and $2.75 Million.
This includes all Monies paid in from me and my Employer (which is just a smokescreen since all the money paid in was part of my Total Compensation. I love how people swallow the false narrative that their Employer “matches” the Employee’s SS Donation. It all comes out of the same Pot but I guess it’s a feel good fantasy to some people..