The New American Household

From the NYT:

Under One Roof, Building for Extended Families

Tom and Kristin Moser’s new house — nearly 3,000 square feet in a development outside Tucson — has all the modern amenities, including solar panels and an open kitchen. But their house also has a feature that the builders are betting will be a hit, like the dog showers and craft rooms that beckoned during the boom. Tucked inside is a one-bedroom apartment with its own garage and a discrete entrance around the side.

The Mosers wanted the built-in apartment not to bring in a renter to help pay the mortgage, but rather as a home for Mr. Moser’s 82-year-old widowed father.

“More than weekly visits and phone calls, he really needs to be around family,” Mr. Moser, an investment manager, said of his father, Lee. “It’s the way he was raised. I think as a society it’s a way we have to step back into.”

In fact, architectural historians, statisticians and builders themselves are pointing out that the new household — and the house that can hold it — is much like the old household, the one that was cast aside after World War II by the building boom that focused on small, tidy dwellings for mom, dad and their two children.

Population statistics help tell the tale. A Pew study reports that 41 percent of adults between 25 and 29 are now living, or have lived recently, with their parents. Over all, more than 50 million Americans are in multigenerational households, a 10 percent increase from 2007. It is a back-to-the-future moment.

“You have to go back to the 1940s to see those kinds of numbers,” said Stephen Melman, director of economic services at the National Association of Home Builders. “What the recession has done has really hit household formation hard, so instead of forming households we are having some contractions: the college student moving back in or someone’s brother-in-law loses a job. It’s an opportunity for the builders.”

Wid Chapman, an architect and co-author of “Unassisted Living: Ageless Homes for Later Life,” said the 2010 census showed that the shift to the “nonlinear family” is part of an evolution that will be accelerated now that mainstream builders are responding to it.

“These so-called atypical households will be deliberately created and marketed in geographic locations that might have been the epicenter of the suburban classic nuclear family in the past,” he said.

This entry was posted in Housing Recovery, New Development. Bookmark the permalink.

69 Responses to The New American Household

  1. grim says:

    Little one refuses to sleep any longer, I fear she may have turned into a vampire.

    Given that, I have plenty of time to sit around and ponder the market.

    Here is a thought…

    Double income households had a significant impact on the price of housing, pushing up prices to where it was near impossible for single income families to afford.

    Will the multigenerational household push up prices to the point that the double income household will struggle to afford?

  2. grim says:

    From the Star Ledger:

    Atlantic City’s Revel resort, $1.3B in debt, faces potential bankruptcy or foreclosure

    Revel, Atlantic City’s newest oceanfront resort, has warned federal regulators about a potential bankruptcy or foreclosure, citing its growing debt load of more than $1.3 billion and the possibility that revenue will remain depressed as it has been all year.

    Revel’s difficult financial situation today led the state’s top Democrat, Senate President Stephen Sweeney, to urge regulators to take a closer look at the casino’s finances. At the same time, Atlantic City officials warned they might have to take over the property if it doesn’t pay millions of dollars in overdue taxes.

    The $2.6 billion casino and resort has struggled to become self-sufficient since opening in the spring because of a dearth of gamblers in what analysts say is an increasingly crowded East Coast market.

    In the face of the mounting problems, Revel’s chief executive, Kevin DeSanctis, has said he is shaking up his leadership teams for hotel operations and marketing, and that he will borrow an unspecified amount next month after exhausting an emergency $100 million credit line tapped in August.

  3. grim says:

    From HousingWire:

    Fannie Mae: Single-family serious delinquency rate falls to 3.35% in October

    The conventional single-family serious delinquency rate fell six basis points to 3.35% in October, compared to 3.41% in September and 4% from the previous year, according to Fannie Mae’s monthly summary.

    The multifamily serious delinquency rate remained unchanged at 0.28% from last month, and was down from 0.58% last year.

    Fannie Mae completed 14,511 loan modifications, totaling 138,211 over the past ten months.

  4. grim says:

    Didn’t get around to posting these earlier, some good stuff from the FHFA, grab a cup of coffee and read up:

    http://www.fhfa.gov/webfiles/24547/2q12fprfinal.pdf

  5. grim says:

    If you still have coffee left, the NY Fed did a briefing on the economic impacts of Sandy, really good stuff here too:

    http://www.newyorkfed.org/newsevents/mediaadvisory/2012/Presentations_11292012.pdf

  6. Essex says:

    Funny article, The economy sucks so we should build bigger homes.

  7. Essex says:

    Hey junior is making bank at shoprite, Lets put that wing on the house!

  8. grim says:

    Hey junior is making bank at shoprite, Lets put that wing on the house!

    I think the conversation is more along the lines of …

    “Mom and Dad, how about you guys move in with us? By the way, sell your home and give us the money so we can afford a new house.”

  9. grim says:

    I’d hate to say it, since I’m trying to keep the sarcasm levels high here, but it’s probably quite a bit cheaper than an assisted living alternative. So the new conversation goes something like:

    “Why dump your money into assisted living, where they are going to rob you blind and leave you in a dark corner to rot, when we can move in together and keep your money in the family rather than paying it out to crooks.”

  10. Painhrtz - Not like you can dust for vomit says:

    Grim that is my greatest fear with my in laws. I hope my perpetually broke SIL continues to use them as a cash cow and we don’t have to pick up the slack

  11. charlie says:

    Dont think it will work; older folk like their privacy and freedom. Such as my mother: she’s moving to a smaller place before her older widowed brother and sister think of moving in with her.

  12. Fast Eddie says:

    Will the multigenerational household push up prices to the point that the double income household will struggle to afford?

    Sure, that 3500 sq. ft. in Wyckoff soon-to-be occupied by 3 generations of family from the town of San Luis de la Paz is going to do wonders for the price. Should we rename the town to North Paterson now or wait for the first official drive by shooting?

  13. grim says:

    Dont think it will work; older folk like their privacy and freedom.

    Let’s see if they holds true once the older folk realize that retirement isn’t like Dennis Hopper portrays on TV.

  14. Mike says:

    Good Morning New Jersey

  15. Anon E. Moose says:

    Adventures in MazdaLand, Part Deux
    Part Une, here

    Lib,
    As for the Mazda5 being the “Capt. Cheapo” option, I think it’s more like a KISS option. It doesn’t weight 2.5 tons, so it can use a reasonable 4cyl engine; it doesn’t have power sliding doors or liftgate, not even power seats. That adds up to a family car that sells for $18-20k, not $40k (looking at you, Ford Flex). Speaking of which, I read that the Mazda5 it built on the same platform as the Ford C-Max, which lists for $25k, is only 5 pass (swing doors, not sliders), and is a hybrid engine (which might appeal to Fab & Dope, if they weren’t hopeless lefty oikophobes desperate for hipster cred — they couldn’t possibly buy am American car that didn’t take bailout money).

    Anyway, a story about KISS design. Back in the 50s, the Navy was having a design competition for a carrier plane. It had to carry a certain load (long wings) but had to store on deck. All but one design had folding wings. The winning designer realized that if the wings didn’t have to fold, the whole plane could be lighter, which allowed even shorter wings. Less maint. and more reliable without folding mechanism. KISS.

  16. dav1c62oca says:

    Hi, i read your blog from time to time and i own a similar one and i was just wondering
    if you get a lot of spam responses? If so how do
    you prevent it, any plugin or anything you can recommend?
    I get so much lately it’s driving me crazy so any help is very much appreciated.

  17. chicagofinance says:

    I assume you are extrapolating from the “women into the workforce” effect from 1960’s to 1990’s……..the distinction? Multiple generation adults really have different outlooks, and it takes maturity to allow personal relationships among nuclear family to evolve over time. The force of entropy dominates….

    grim says:
    December 1, 2012 at 7:37 am
    Will the multigenerational household push up prices to the point that the double income household will struggle to afford?

  18. Ex poster says:

    grim says:
    December 1, 2012 at 7:37 am

    “Will the multigenerational household push up prices to the point that the double income household will struggle to afford?”

    Not in the same way. Basic math. The two income household included people who already lived together. Multigenerational households, while increasing household income, decreases household creation. This would lead to greater demand for larger homes and a glut of smaller ones not suitable for extended families. Unless there is a sudden influx of immigrants of course.

  19. Punch My Ticket says:

    I’m not convinced of the thesis that multi-generation houses will result in a boom. It might increase demand for larger houses but the obvious corollary is less demand for number of houses. And if it’s older folks moving in with their kids, how much can their incomes (average SSI is $1200/month nationwide) contribute towards levitation in house prices?

    I even question if this makes for larger houses. When I was a kid, admittedly long ago, we had seven in 1200 sq ft. Three kids, mom, dad, mom’s parents. How did we manage that without the place looking like the average favela?

    Finally, I’d love to have my dad here. He’s rattling around in the old place, still 1200 sq ft, bored out of his skull because he has no projects. Meanwhile, I – no handy andy by comparison to him – have rooms to spare. I could use some help with an overflowing job jar, he could use work to stop a descent into senility, but he’s about as willing to give up his house as he would be to give up a drivers license. If he ever gets to that point though, there’s another surplus piece of real estate driving up supply and down prices.

  20. Ragnar says:

    Grim, I’ve spent roughly 75% of my life in a multigenerational household. When I grew up with my retired grandparents in the house, and then after I had my child, my retired in-laws moved in to help. (Fortunately, we don’t speak the same language). This spurred us to move up and buy a bigger house after the bubble burst. It has also basically spoiled me about things like cleaning the house, doing dishes, etc.

    For some other houses in my neigborhood, the multigenerational houses seem to operate on diffferent rules, more out of desparation, where it’s the younger adults camping with the 50+ parents, and possibly paying rent.

  21. Ragnar says:

    Libtard,
    For your next captain cheapo car, perhaps you should consider a Subaru Imprezza or Legacy. Subarus historically have lasted a long time, get pretty good efficiency, and have AWD available, if that’s a consideration. Another new consideration for true cheapness, upfront and over time, would be a base level Ford Fiesta (S), low cost, high efficiency, and Ford has done a good job of boosting quality. This car basically descended from Europe. I also hear it’s fun to drive, like the Civic was 20 yrs ago.

  22. Phoenix says:

    Elizabeth: Good night, John Boy.
    John-Boy: Good night, Elizabeth. Good night, Daddy.
    John: Good night, Son. Good night, Mary Ellen.
    Mary Ellen: Good night, Daddy. Good night, Mama.
    Olivia: Good night, Mary Ellen. Good night, Jim Bob.
    Jim Bob: Good night, Mama. Good night, Erin.
    Erin: Good night, Jim Bob. Good night, Ben.
    Ben: Good night, Erin. Good night, everybody.

  23. Phoenix says:

    John: Until it does get better, I’ll make a living here on Walton’s Mountain.

  24. Brian says:

    Lib,

    If you decide to buy a used car….make sure it isn’t a sandy flood car.

  25. Phoenix says:

    Reminded me of JJ- from the Harvard Munch:

    “Sarah likes it when her hands are tied to the bedpost and a bar is secured between her knees, spreading them apart. During sex, her boyfriend dominates her roped body as she happily calls him “sir” and “master.” She asks her boyfriend to objectify her and call her derogatory terms.

    For Sarah, whose name has been changed to protect her privacy, the pain from the ropes is not what turns her on. Sarah is kinky, which for her means enjoying losing control of the situation, and even control over her own body”. http://www.thecrimson.com/article/2012/2/29/Students-Discuss-Taboo-Sex/

  26. Libtard at home says:

    Phoenix…first you ever heard of kink?

    Rags…Need a 6-seater minimum, but would prefer a 7-seater. I agree with much of what you said, though tough to beat the Mazda’s price point.

  27. Essex says:

    Don’t forget the added benefit a larger home can mean a more profitable illegal day care!

  28. Ragnar says:

    Lib,
    In that case, the new 6 seat Tesla will make you the envy of Montclair. My wife got an Odyssey that she loves. 7 or 8 seats with space to haul, plus good mileage.

  29. Libtard at home says:

    Odyssey’s are very well designed, though my sibling’s (two of ’em) needed multiple repairs on the automatic doors and hatch opener/closers.

  30. McDullard says:

    Grim,

    There seem to be some perks in assisted living…

    http://www.assistedlivingfacilities.org/blog/assisted-living-concerns/sex-drugs-andsenior-citizens/

    On the other hand, the “fully independent apartment” would be even better if it were a couple of houses away :). That way, the younger generation people will get their living room TV, some room to argue and scream, and also the kitchen back. In turn, the older generation doesn’t have to face how behind the times they are. And both sides can stop the wars where the younger ones throw science and technology, and the older ones invoke one almighty god after another. Thank God for winters in NJ that make it less desirable to older folks accustomed to warmer climates.

    S

  31. grim says:

    As much as I want a Suburban, an Odyssey is probably next on the list.

  32. Fabius Maximus says:

    #126 Clot (previous thread)

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FvcJqcUlYTo

  33. Ernest Money says:

    gluteus, is that the video you use to get little girls to sit in your lap?

  34. Fabius Maximus says:

    For those writing a christmas card to their disappointing kids.

    http://www.cnn.com/2012/11/30/living/telegraph-nick-crews-email/index.html?hpt=hp_t3

  35. Fabius Maximus says:

    #35 Clot,

    Thats beneath you.

  36. Anon E. Moose says:

    McDullard [32];

    the younger generation people will get their living room TV, some room to argue and scream, and also the kitchen back. … the older generation … how behind the times they are … younger ones throw science and technology, and the older ones invoke one almighty god after another.

    Are you Ryan Bingam (George Clooney)? “I stereotype. It’s faster.”

  37. 3B Buying says:

    How many of these mutil generational situations will it just be a case of the children looking for free day care and housekeeping services, for theri children. And not to mention whatever money grandma and grandpa will be kicking in every month to live there. Then when the children’s children get get older and are in school full time. The grandparents will be told how important it is for the children to have their own privacy etc. And then it is off the the nursing home for them

  38. chicagofinance says:

    Based on what I see at work…..spot on…..

    3B Buying says:
    December 2, 2012 at 9:49 am
    How many of these mutil generational situations will it just be a case of the children looking for free day care and housekeeping services, for theri children. And not to mention whatever money grandma and grandpa will be kicking in every month to live there. Then when the children’s children get get older and are in school full time. The grandparents will be told how important it is for the children to have their own privacy etc. And then it is off the the nursing home for them

  39. Fast Eddie says:

    3B [39],

    These are the f.uckheads that 1diots like me have to compete with. Who knew that working your @ss off and saving money for years was the wrong way to do it. But hey, being prestigious and keeping up with the Joneses has a hefty price and who has time to save and invest when image is of the essence. A haughty address awaits and time is fleeting so, Mommy and Daddy, hurry up and write that check !!

  40. FEMA Sez... says:

    “You so CRAZY… Moose don’t eat cheez.”

  41. Phoenix says:

    If granny wants to go to a nursing home/assisted living place, let her sign away her finances and go. That’s her choice. Question is, Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid going bankrupt, why?? Did the seniors and boomers pay enough in? Where are the funds? Why should some 16 y/o working in Dairy Queen pay into a system that they will never collect from?

  42. Phoenix says:

    One way to buy a house in Haughtyville. I guess CVS took away the ability for a pharmacist to make any money. One must be creative in this economy. Time to pay a small fine to the govt as a slap on the wrist, then keep the rest as a profit.

    http://www.nj.com/somerset/index.ssf/2012/12/somerset_hunterdon_pharmacists.html#incart_river_default

  43. Anon E. Moose says:

    Phoenix [43];

    One generation got old; one generation got sold

    “Americans aged 18 to 29 voted 60% to 36% for Barack Obama. Prior to Obama’s re-election, I believed that it was morally wrong for my generation to pass a crushing national debt on to the next one…

    With the president’s electoral crushing of Mitt Romney, my [50-something] overriding sense of morality and guilt have vanished. Thank you, kids!”

  44. afe says:

    (33) grim – we just bought one, love it! Got a pretty good deal on 2012. Can send you details if/when needed.

  45. Ernest Money says:

    Extinction before recovery.

  46. Ernest Money says:

    Time to apply Costanza Theory:

    “With the fiscal cliff looming–and Republicans, like House Speaker John Boehner, slamming the White House’s latest proposal–U.S. Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner hit the Sunday morning talk show circuit, saying the partisan posturing is a necessary part of “political theater” but that he’s hopeful a deal will get done before the end of the year.”

    http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/ticket/geithner-fiscal-cliff-boehner-sunday-talk-shows-161349699–politics.html

  47. Grim says:

    46 – yes, let me know the details so I don’t get ripped off.

  48. The Original NJ ExPat says:

    [1] grim – let me offer up a message of hope. If not for this one, maybe the next. Our oldest went 5 months without sleeping through the night, but there were still the 2, 3, 4 times a night scream-fests and all night at times, like you’re getting used to. When our second was born, almost exactly two years after the first, our heat was out as the furnace in our 1928 building needed to be completely replaced. No heat, a 4 week old, and a two year old (not to mention a wife) = no fun, as you sampled post-Sandy. Well, we burned the fireplace all day and all 4 of us slept in our daughter’s smaller bedroom with a carefully monitored electric disc furnace. It was the first week of March. After 10 or so days of this an amazing thing happened. Our youngest daughter started sleeping through the night at only 6 weeks old when the four of us slept in the same room! When the heat came back on, my wife and I tiptoed back to our bedroom leaving both girls in what was now “their” room. That was almost 9 years ago and everything has been great ever since, and they still, happily, share that same room.

    Little one refuses to sleep any longer, I fear she may have turned into a vampire.

  49. The Original NJ ExPat says:

    [1] & [50] grim – Neither of our daughters ever had a pacifier, which may have helped matters, perhaps worth considering? Maybe it’s the first entitlement that needs to be cut from the budget?

  50. The Original NJ ExPat says:

    Libtard – Find a used mid-2000’s Buick LeSabre and try it on for size if you want the true Captain Cheapo option. I had one for two weeks in 2003 in Florida and we always assumed it would be our next car because nothing else offered the same capacity in a car-car. What impressed me was 1.)ride, 2.)passenger capacity, 3.)mileage, 4.)back seat comfort. Have you ever been in a the backseat of a car and you find yourself craning your neck to the middle so you can see out the windshield? You don’t have to in a LeSabre, and it’s the only car I’ve found this to be the case. The glass area is so wide that you can see straight out the windshield from any back seat position. The two outboard back passengers have a great view to the outboard side of the front passengers heads, which I really liked. I still look at cars.com for used LeSabre’s in my area because it’s the best 6 passenger car as far as I’m concerned.

    Rags…Need a 6-seater minimum, but would prefer a 7-seater. I agree with much of what you said, though tough to beat the Mazda’s price point.

  51. Comrade Nom Deplume says:

    [45] moose,

    Proper planning now will insure that your kids and their kids don’t have to live with that entire burden.

    And means-testing is a certainty. I don’t know what sort of look-back periods there will be, so it would be prudent for those on the bubble to start steering assets off the radar.

  52. RentL0rd says:

    Grim – Congratulations on your little one!

    I bought a house about 2yrs ago, remodeled before I moved in.. and enjoying it now. Being a older house the taxes are less than nearby newer houses.

    One of the older neighbors, get this, happens to be a hoarder and was even on the Hoarders show. The old lady is retired, lives by herself.. and is finding the place too expensive – taxes, food costs, etc. The house itself is in a great location and structurally is OK. She told me she wants to be with her grown kids and grand-kids in the mid-west -and is desperate to get rid of the house.

    I was talking to her today and wondering if I bought the house and remodeled.. I could either sell my house and move into the new one (it’s just a 5 houses down) or sell that place for some gains.

    I have done small projects – having owned 3 houses so far, but never gutted a house in entierity – which I believe this lady’s house may need. What do you guys think of such a property as an investment? Two options here – raze it to the ground and build a brand new place to spec. Or keep the structure and re-do the inside.

    Thoughts?

  53. Brian says:

    Honda odyssey…so sensible…wife wants one too. Shoot me now.

  54. Ernest Money says:

    lard (54)-

    Make sure you have a good Tyvek suit.

  55. Phoenix says:

    [46] Moose
    With the president’s electoral crushing of Mitt Romney, my [50-something] overriding sense of morality and guilt have vanished. Thank you, kids!”

    There was never an overriding sense of morality and guilt, only a sense of entitlement.
    The over 50 group are lined up at the government teat for S. Security, Medicaid, Medicare,etc, even though, and I quote “which we could easily have afforded on our own.” The over 50 group feels fine raising the retirement age to infinity if necessary to “save it.” Exactly who are they “saving it” for? I don’t blame the youth for their vote. How many years of “two-tier” wages, having their pensions turned into 401k’s while the “seniors” voted to keep their own bennies. Now we have the state/federal retirees that “get theirs” while the current workers take all of the cuts. The younger workers would have /are going to get the shaft either way. Anything else is a blatant lie.

  56. Ernest Money says:

    My only advice to my kids is to get out of this gulag of a country by any means possible.

    I just hope I still have the energy and gumption to do it myself.

  57. Anon E. Moose says:

    Phoenix [57];

    I was quoting from the piece (re 50-something), not speaking for myself. I come to bury boomers, not to praise them. OTOH, the writer had a valid point. If the young’s want to vote for ‘free’ health care on their parents policy until they reach the age of maturity at 26, not to mention ‘free’ birth control pills in every purse (and what frat boy wouldn’t get behind that policy, am I right?), I really don’t have a hell of a lot of sympathy for them. Yeah, you might have been facing a tough deal, but that doesn’t mean you didn’t make it whole lot worse all by yourself. Tough to feel sorry for that.

    As for the necessary structural changes to Medicare/Medicaid/SS: here’s one: let me out today, and you can keep what I paid in. Saving 15% for retirement should be enough for anybody, but its real tough to do when the gov’t is taking 15% (supposedly for my retirement) off the top. I’m over a decade away from 50 and I already have enough saved to crush my predicted SS benefit at 67; I can easily replace what SS would provide if I wasn’t being sucked dry.

    The other structural change is, like you said, advancing retirement age to match life expectancy. A paper-pushing desk jockey can get a hell of a lot more ‘productive’ years than a ditch digger. Much less physical labor these days, the retirement scheme should have been amended to reflect that. Plus people are just living a hell of a lot longer. A retiree at 62 probably drew 7 years on average then; now they can draw 25 easily.

    Which gets me back to putting a little bit of the blame on the young’s. Just because necessary changes were ignored, doesn’t mean you can go right on ignoring them and point the finger at the previous generation. That trick only works well when you have a dependent voting block and sycophantic press like Obama does.

  58. yome says:

    some reason media fact checkers get especially irate by political figures when they make the entirely true claim that Social Security does not contribute to the budget deficit (e.g. here and here). The Post’s Glenn Kessler gives a comparatively thoughtful comment in his Post column, but still comes down on the side of the adds to the deficit folks. The bottom line for Kessler is that Social Security is using interest on the government bonds it holds to pay for benefits.This is true, but lots of people use interest on government bonds to pay for things. For example, if Peter Peterson used $5 million in interest on government bonds he held to finance the start up of his Campaign to Fix the Debt would it be accurate to say that he had contributed to the deficit? I suspect that most of the facto checkers would say that it is not.Under the law, the trust fund is supposed to be treated as a bondholder like any other bondholder. This meant, for example, that the $2.7 trillion in debt held by the Social Security trust fund was included as part of the debt covered by the ceiling when the deadlock over its increase brought the country to the brink of default in the summer of 2011.If we view the bonds held by the trust fund as they are defined in law, then it makes no more sense to say that spending the interest or principal from these bonds contributes to the deficit than the spending of interest or principal by any other bondholder. Since this money is already owed by the government to the trust fund, spending from the trust fund simply changes the identity of the owner of the debt, just as if Peterson were to sell his bonds to someone else. People may not like the law governing the trust funds, but that does not make someone wrong for talking about Social Security and its trust fund as they are defined under the law.There is another point that deserves attention in Kessler’s piece. At one point he praises Senator Dick Durbin (the perp whose comment provided the basis for the piece) for having:”acknowledged that Social Security’s long-term financing is an important issue that cannot be deferred.”This implies that it is necessary to deal with Social Security’s financing now. That claim is clearly false. If we waited a decade before taking any action, the projections from the Social Security trustees indicate that the program could be kept fully solvent through the rest of the century by phasing in tax increases and benefit cuts comparable to those put in place by the Greenspan commission in 1983. While many people may want the country to deal with Social Security’s long-term financing problems now, there certainly is no reason that the issue cannot be deferred.And there are good arguments as to why deferring major decisions might be desirable. For example, thanks to the efforts of the Peterson types and the overall poor state of media reporting on the issue, polls consistently show that the vast majority of young people believe that they will not see their Social Security checks when they retire. This is a completely false belief according to all current projections, howver it is likely to color their attitudes towards changes in the program. It would be desirable to have any major reworking of the program carried through in an environment in which the public was better informed about the true state of the program’s finances.Another important fact arguing for delay is that the Social Security trustees project that real wages will grow by more than 20 percent over the next decade. This contrasts to three decades in which most workers have seen almost no wage growth. If the trustees projections prove accurate then the public might be much more inclined to tax away some of their future wage growth to support higher benefits than would be the case at present.Whether or not one agrees with these reasons for delaying action on the program, it is simply wrong to assert that action cannot be deferred. This is simply a judgement that it is better to not defer action, not a statement of fact. 

    Under the law, the Social Security program is financed exclusively by its own payroll tax. (The exception is the last two years where general revenue was added to make up for the revenue lost as a result of the payroll tax holiday.) It can only spend money raised through this tax either in the current year or from the interest and principal from government bonds purchased in prior years.This means that Social Security can never add to the deficit, except in the same way that Peter Peterson sells his government bonds. When Peterson sells his bonds, the government must either cut spending, raise taxes or borrow the money from someone else. Since the actors in financial markets are more realistic than the frantic Washington types who are working themselves into hysterics about the deficit, the government will have no problem borrowing from someone else either when Peter Peterson sells his bonds or Social Security cashes in some of its bonds Under the law, the Social Security program is financed exclusively by its own payroll tax. (The exception is the last two years where general revenue was added to make up for the revenue lost as a result of the payroll tax holiday.) It can only spend money raised through this tax either in the current year or from the interest and principal from government bonds purchased in prior years.This means that Social Security can never add to the deficit, except in the same way that Peter Peterson sells his government bonds. When Peterson sells his bonds, the government must either cut spending, raise taxes or borrow the money from someone else. Since the actors in financial markets are more realistic than the frantic Washington types who are working themselves into hysterics about the deficit, the government will have no problem borrowing from someone else either when Peter Peterson sells his bonds or Social Security cashes in some of its bonds

  59. cobbler says:

    Another important fact arguing for delay is that the Social Security trustees project that real wages will grow by more than 20 percent over the next decade. This contrasts to three decades in which most workers have seen almost no wage growth.

    This is a pretty bold assumption… and the one making me think that either the trust fund is managed by a bunch of mentally challenged people, or the author doesn’t quote correctly… while I believe the Social Security can be and should be sustained in its current shape via a small increase in the payroll tax and maybe raising the tax ceiling quicker than the current plan requires – and that creation of the Trust Fund was a mistake, the system should have always been 100% pay-go – the article is pure bunk.

  60. McDullard says:

    Moose… #38… Not stereotyping, it is more of a … well, let’s say, personal experience, and it is a hope that I don’t end up going down that path.

  61. Click Here says:

    Good post but I was wanting to know if you could write a litte more on this topic? I’d be very thankful if you could elaborate a little bit further. Appreciate it!

  62. The post is extremely appealing, you made some valid points plus the matter is on point. I have made a decision to add your site to my bookmarks so I can go back to it at another time.

  63. WordPress is up and running on my host — but it completely mismatches my site’s existing theme/CSS. How hard would it be to modify/write a new theme to make it fit in? Is there an easier way to do this?.

  64. What is the best website to start a blog that I eventually want to make revenue with?

Comments are closed.