SOCIAL SECURITY |
MEMORANDUM
Date: | June 19, 2008 | Refer to: | TCA |
To: | John Gist and Sara Rix AARP Public Policy Institute |
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From: | Steve Goss,
Chief Actuary Alice Wade, Deputy Chief Actuary Chris Chaplain, Supervisory Actuary |
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Subject: | Estimated Financial Effects of Several Social Security Reform Options—INFORMATION |
This memorandum provides estimates of the financial effects on the OASDI program of several individual provisions that you have identified as possible options for reforming Social Security. Estimates are provided for the effect on the long-range OASDI actuarial deficit, which is estimated at 1.70 percent of taxable payroll under current law. Estimates are also provided for the effect on the annual deficit (excess of program scheduled cost over scheduled tax revenue) in 2082, which is estimated at 4.20 percent of payroll under current law. It is critical to note that the estimates provided are for each provision individually as a single change to current law. The combined effects of two or more provisions cannot be simply added together due to the effects of interaction among provisions. These interactions can be very substantial. Thus, considering the effects on an additive basis should only be done with an understanding that the result will generally overstate the effect of the combination of provisions.
All estimates are based on the intermediate assumptions of the 2008 Trustees Report. The estimates should also be considered preliminary as time has not permitted full modeling of all aspects of some of these provisions. The estimates should, however, provide a very good indication of the effects of these provisions as further refinements are unlikely to have a substantial effect.
Enacting this change would reduce the long-range OASDI actuarial deficit by an estimated 0.84 percent of taxable payroll. The reduction in the annual deficit for the year 2082 is estimated at 0.93 percent of taxable payroll.
Enacting this change would reduce the long-range OASDI actuarial deficit by an estimated 0.64 percent of taxable payroll. The reduction in the annual deficit for the year 2082 is estimated at 0.78 percent of taxable payroll.
Enacting this change would reducethe long-range OASDI actuarial deficit by an estimated 0.22 percent of taxable payroll. The reduction in the annual deficit for the year 2082 is estimated to be negligible (i.e., less than 0.005 percent of taxable payroll).
Enacting this change would reduce the long-range OASDI actuarial deficit by an estimated 0.29 percent of taxable payroll, assuming an average annual real yield on equities of 6.4 percent (3.5 percentage points over the expected average yield on long-term Treasury bonds.) From the perspective of a low yield or risk-adjusted perspective where equity yields are taken to be equal to the average real yield on Treasury bonds, this provision would have no effect on the estimated actuarial deficit of the OASDI program. The reduction in the annual deficit for the year 2082 is estimated to be negligible (i.e., less than 0.005 percent of taxable payroll).
Enacting this change would reduce the long-range OASDI actuarial deficit by an estimated 0.37 percent of taxable payroll. The reduction in the annual deficit for the year 2082 is estimated at 1.09 percent of taxable payroll.
Enacting this change would reduce the long-range OASDI actuarial deficit by an estimated 0.28 percent of taxable payroll. The reduction in the annual deficit for the year 2082 is estimated at 0.34 percent of taxable payroll.
Enacting this change would increase (worsen) the long-range OASDI actuarial deficit by an estimated 0.01 percent of taxable payroll. The increase (worsening) in the annual deficit for the year 2082 is estimated at 0.30 percent of taxable payroll.
You also asked for estimates for two additional provisions. One was a minimum benefit provision and the other provided for an aged spouse benefit of 33 percent of PIA and an aged widow(er) benefit option that would be set at 75 percent of the combined benefit if both spouses were still alive. We do not have estimates for these provisions as yet but will be providing these in the near future. We hope the estimates above will be helpful. Please let us know if you have any additional questions.
Stephen C. Goss | |
Alice H. Wade | |
Christopher Chaplain |