Issue Briefs
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Social Security is the nation’s largest social insurance program and the backbone of the U.S. retirement income system. When Franklin D. Roosevelt proposed the program in 1934, he emphasized the insurance aspect, presenting it as a safeguard against the “hazards and vicissitudes of life.” And those hazards can start early. Many young peo…
Social Security was designed to replace wages for those no longer working, so claiming Social Security benefits is often used as a simple proxy for retirement. However, trends in employment at older ages cast some doubt on this assumption: many households over 65 report labor earnings as well as Social Security income, indicating that…
