Take our policy survey! - Council for Retirement Security

As we quickly approach the Social Security Trustees’ projected insolvency date, several reform policies have been proposed to secure the future of the Trust.

The purpose of this survey is to ask you, as an American retiree or future retiree, how you feel about each of the policies that have been proposed. Your responses will help us determine what today’s seniors consider an effective Social Security reform package.

Thank you so much for lending your voice to this survey and helping us in our mission to secure and protect the Social Security Trust Fund!

Name*
Age*
Email*
Email Consent
If you would like to receive newsletters, notifications about grassroots advocacy activities, or other contact from the Council for Retirement Security and related advocacy projects, please check the box below. If you do NOT want to be on our emailing list, leave this checkbox blank. We will NOT contact you by email if you choose to leave this blank. The Council of Retirement Security will NOT share your email address or other personal information with ANYONE.
- Yes, I would like to receive more information about Social Security
What is your beneficiary status?*
- I am currently a Social Security beneficiary.
- I will be filing for Social Security retirement benefits within one to five years.
- I will be filing for Social Security retirement benefits within five to ten years.
- I am not a Social Security beneficiary and will not be filing for Social Security retirement benefits within the next ten years.
- Other
- Decline
What is your political affiliation?*
- Republican
- Democrat
- Libertarian
- Green
- Constitution
- Independent
- Other
- Decline
Your thoughts on Social Security's future
The Social Security Trustees have most recently projected Social Security’s reserves will be exhausted by 2034 without legislative intervention. Several Social Security advocates, however, estimate unemployment spikes and business disruption from the Coronavirus pandemic may push this date forward to as soon as 2028. Without legislative intervention prior to reserve depletion, it is estimated Social Security benefits would have to be cut across the board by as much as 25%.
How concerned are you about the immediate financial future of Social Security?*
Extremely concerned Somewhat concerned Not very concerned Unconcerned Decline
How important do you feel Social Security policy is compared to other political, financial, and social issues?*
Extremely important Somewhat important Not very important Unimportant Decline
How likely is a political candidate's Social Security platform to influence the way you vote?*
Very likely Somewhat likely Not very likely Unlikely Decline
Your thoughts on our policy goals
The Council for Retirement Security endorses a four-step approach to restoring Social Security’s long-term solvency without direct benefit cuts. Please share your thoughts with us on the four policy proposals below.
Do you support requiring the U.S. Treasury to repay the $2.85 trillion that Congress has taken from the Social Security surplus and ending the practice of using Social Security funds for general spending?*
- Yes
- No
- Decline
Why don't you support this?
Do you support eliminating the Payroll Tax Cap Loophole that allows the wealthiest Americans to only contribute to payroll taxes on the first $137,700 they earn per year?*
- Yes
- No
- Decline
Why don't you support this?
Do you support gradually raising the full retirement age for those born after 1960 by two months each year until the full retirement age reaches 70?*
- Yes
- No
- Decline
Why don't you support this?
Do you support eliminating the Carried Interest Loophole that allows investment bankers to shield income from Social Security?*
A significant amount of the income made by investment fund managers is considered capital gains and is therefore NOT FICA-taxable. Closing this loophole would make all of that type of income taxable.
- Yes
- No
- Decline
Why don't you support this?
Your thoughts on additional Social Security policy proposals
Below we have listed several other policy proposals made by legislators to increase Social Security funding, increase Social Security solvency, or alter benefit amounts. We’d like to know how you feel about them.
Which of these Social Security reform policies would you support?*
Please choose as many or as few as reflects your opinion.
- Means-testing benefits. This means that benefits would be determined based on a retiree’s income, resulting in lower benefits—and potentially no benefits—for high-earners.
- A flat reduction in benefits for high-earners.
- Increasing the FICA payroll tax rate.
- Increasing the amount of work history years used to calculate benefits. Since most people earn lower salaries at the start of their working years, increasing the amount of years used to determine benefit amounts would lower a worker’s total earnings amount and slightly decrease their benefit.
- Extend Social Security eligibility to all working people. A quarter of state and local government workers are not eligible for and do not pay into Social Security. By extending Social Security eligibility to all workers, more workers would pay payroll taxes.
- Apply the payroll tax to all types of salary reduction plans. Certain types of salary reduction plans, like contributions to flexible spending accounts, are not subjected to the payroll tax.
- Switch to the Chained CPI for COLA calculation. The Chained CPI would slightly reduce COLA raises.
- Begin longevity indexing. Longevity indexing would automatically reduce benefits for all retirees as life expectancy increases.
- I don’t support any of these policy proposals.
Are there any additional Social Security reform policies you support?

Your thoughts on Social Security's future

Your thoughts on our policy goals

Your thoughts on additional Social Security policy proposals