The government there adds money to those whose pension plans did not meet a minimum return standard, or to low wage earners who do not have enough saved to get by. We could do the same, while managing our own individual money and making sure that people who work have some kind of cushion for their old age. Fair Share Tax Alliance of America Social Security represents what is best about this country. Our national commitment to retirement benefits marks us as a society that cares for those not at the peak of their health or earning powers. Just because the system is currently on shaky financial ground doesn't mean we must abandon the elderly to the vagaries of the private profit-making market.
Some people suggest that the money be reinvested in higher-yielding securities.
And then, there's the risk. Government bonds may not have a high yield, but they are consistent. If the stock market crashes, as many analysts predict will happen someday, investing in the open market could cost the Social Security fund as much as it might earn. We don't have to take those risks. A delay of the benefit age to 70.