I have taught math at high school and college level who lost his career thanks to NCLB. When I moved to rural MI when my marriage collapsed I found myself unemployed and unemployable, either over or under qualified. Plus, I was 60 years old. In my other expertease, The Linux OS, where I had also been at the cutting edge, there was nothing here.

So two years ago I filed for SS at 62. It's been very tough. But I have family and friends, including people here at DU.

One doesn't need to be wealthy to be happy. I wish my problems weren't so crushing, but there's something more important than having a fucking elevator for your car. That's something the Republicans will never understand. I am not even sure that my own party does.

Therein lies my hope.

I am in the same situation--I haven't applied for SS yet but I'm thinking about it. It may depend on the election outcome.

expecting to live no more than 85 (family history) It paid to retire early when I did not have a job at 62. ETA - I did save 50% of my net pay for the last 5 years I worked in anticipation of being laid off though that makes things pretty easy.

There are calculators on-line if people need to figure out the best time to apply for you. There are also places where you can figure out how much you need to live on after you retire. You can also fin places where it costs less to live. Moving back and forth the coasts has to be very expensive for that woman. I don't think she sound very practical. The place where you are at or have family are the places you know best how to survive.

I guess I am surprised she had Data plan on her blackberry, I am still being cheap and having a calling only cell phone plan and I get 20% off as a retiree from a certain company. I have a lap top and know where all the wifi places are and pay for internet at home and on vacation. But data on my phone? not necessary since I don't have a job anymore. I wonder how much she pays for cable? I only get basic cable, everything else I watch is available on-line sooner or later. Yes, it is difficult to survive on social security, but I would rather have fruit and vegetables than a data plan. They really need to get better people to use a an example. I can provide a family of 3 that are surviving on one persons early SS and they have a mortgage, They make almost everything from scratch and get movies and books from the library. but no dentist visits or doctor visits, they can't afford to get sick.

I lost my job in early May. I was able to land another one in two weeks. I took a 12K a year cut in pay, but I'm still in the top 25% of wage earners so I count myself fortunately. I had 2 offers to consider. I took the one with the least pay but what seemed like the best security.

A number of people I know who decided to take it early simply don't believe full funding will be there for the duration of their lives anyway. The worse our future budget looks, the more it makes sense to get what you can when you can.

For those with an interest in history it is easy and fun to look up quotes from Social Security opponents throughout the history of the program. It becomes quickly apparent that even before the program began, the opponents were saying exactly what your 'number of people' say, that future benefits will not be there. They said it on the floor of the Congress when voting against the act, and they have said it each and every year since, and double in years when the program was expanded. That means that for about 80 years, 'a number of people' have claimed to 'simply believe' that which never came to fruition. 80 years they have waited to see FDR's program flop. They simply believe. Facts and history never matter to the simple believers.

There is a break even age that you need to live to that makes it worth your while to delay, but if payments get cut you may never receive the benefit of waiting.