.... that you put in all your working years and that is what you get your retirement/social security money from, then how does a recipient get a raise?

Ever figure how much you really pay in compared to what you get back?

I believe a person pays for the generation before so technically it’s not your money, your spending the next generation’s money.

You get a raise by working longer and putting more into the system. You will get more $ over the years you draw due to cost of living increases, but that is not really a raise.

But how does a retired person not working get a raise?

If a cost of living adjustment is not a raise on a specific amount of money then what is it? The retiree isn't putting anything else into it.

And where does that cost of living increase money come from?

I feel as though you already know the answers to these questions bowhunter. ... call it a hunch.

Your SS income is based on what you put in. Raises are based on increasing your value to your employer. You are no longer employed so you won't ever increase your value and won't ever deserve a raise and won't ever get one. Same for me.

it's not (and never HAS been) "your" money you're being paid.

politicians have spent every nickel you ever put in, LONG before you've retired.

I'm just trying to figure how a set amount of money with nothing else being contributed to it turns into more money.

There are a lot of people on here who talk about there social security account. I figured since they are retired and contributing nothing else to their personal kitty, they could tell me how SS is adding money to their kitty for free.

It's very confusing.

So where does the cost of living increase money come from?

It comes from the $ you get being worth less.

So if your SS account is worth $120,000 and that is what you put into it, then that is your kitty. Now let's say you get $500 a month. That should last twenty years.

Now let's say you retire at 62 and live to 87. Where does that extra five years of income come from? How does that money get a raise? Where does the money come from to put a raise on those accounts?

If you get a raise based on your premise, then the money wouldn't last as long and would deplete even faster. Where do SSI recipients get money from once there account goes dry?

Have u ever heard of interest?

Next question.

If you have a specific ss account and you die 4 years after you retire, where does that money go? Why can't a recipient get a check cut for all that money they have put in over a lifetime?

Seems unfair.

SS recipients get a cost of living raise every year. The increase for 2026 is 2.8%. That's how you get a raise once you start collecting. You can start collecting as early as 62. But, the longer you wait the more you get, especially so if you keep working and keep putting in. I started at 65. Wife worked till 66 and 1/2. You can wait as long as 70, maybe more. I think the Govt. forces you to start collecting somewhere over the age of 70.

Gotta love it, Social Security cost of living increase come January is around 30.00, Medicare insurance cost go's up from 172.00 month to 185.00

So SS raise is $360.

Medicare raise is $156

So that is a $204 raise for that year.

Wow.

It's called a slush fund, and the slush is melting fast.

SS is political suicide for politicians if they raise the contribution to keep it afloat longer they are out of work, if they give it away on their watch it’s the same outcome.

The way I read it years ago was if you pay 40 quarters so 10 years you qualify for it, so now is that the same starting base as a guy that paid in for 40 years?

Also if you’re disabled at any age you get the same as the guy that paid in for all his years.