Nationwide Survey: 83% of Americans Are Worried Social Security Won’t Survive, and Here’s What to Do About It

2 weeks ago 19

David Beren

Fri, May 8, 2026 astatine 11:41 AM CDT 6 min read

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Procter & Gamble (PG) has raised its dividend for 69 consecutive years and yields astir 2.9%, Coca-Cola (KO) has marked 63 consecutive yearly dividend increases and yields astir 2.6%, and Johnson & Johnson (JNJ) has 63 years of consecutive increases and yields astir 2.6%, each recommended arsenic income layers to offset Social Security’s projected 23% payment simplification successful 2033. The Social Security Administration’s trustees task the Old-Age and Survivors Insurance Trust Fund volition beryllium depleted successful 2033, erstwhile lone 77% of scheduled benefits volition beryllium payable, portion the mean monthly cheque of $2,079 already lags inflation, with purchasing powerfulness eroding betwixt yearly cost-of-living adjustments.
Retirees should hold claiming Social Security until property 70 to maximize benefits, max retired catch-up 401(k) contributions aft property 50, and physique dividend income streams to span the spread betwixt shrinking Social Security benefits and surviving expenses.
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The fearfulness is loud, and the information backs it up. According to the Nationwide Retirement Institute's 2025 Social Security Survey, 83% of Americans presently receiving oregon expecting to person Social Security are acrophobic astir the program's future. That interest is not happening successful a vacuum. The Social Security Administration's ain trustees task that the Old-Age and Survivors Insurance Trust Fund volition beryllium depleted successful 2033, astatine which constituent lone 77% of scheduled benefits would beryllium payable from incoming payroll taxes alone. The mathematics is the message: adjacent without legislature action, the programme does not vanish; the checks simply shrink.

Here is what the numbers really show, and what you tin bash this twelvemonth to little your dependence connected a payment that is shrinking successful existent presumption earlier it shrinks connected paper.

Why the Fear Is Rational

Start with what retirees really receive. The mean monthly Social Security cheque for retired workers was astir $2,079 arsenic of March 2026, aft a 2.8% cost-of-living accommodation took effect successful January. That sounds tenable until you enactment it adjacent to inflation. The Consumer Price Index reached 330.213 successful March 2026, and Core PCE, the Federal Reserve's preferred ostentation gauge, remains good supra the Fed's 2% target. Cost-of-living adjustments are calculated successful arrears utilizing CPI-W, truthful the mean retiree's purchasing powerfulness keeps slipping betwixt yearly adjustments.

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