Where AARP Stands on Social Security

As Congress grapples with Social Security’s future, many ideas are on the table, with issues of solvency defining the debate. AARP remains open to many options and, above all, is firmly committed to protecting and strengthening the system.

AARP supports:

• Offering individual retirement accounts in addition to Social Security
• Raising the cap on wages subject to Social Security tax so that 90 percent of wages nationwide would be covered
• Making the Social Security system universal, with everyone sharing its obligations and benefits
• Investing a portion of the trust fund in a total market index fund to increase the return. By law, the trust fund now may be invested only in government bonds.

AARP opposes:

• Creating " carve-out " private accounts that divert payroll contributions away from Social Security
• Indexing benefits to prices instead of wages
• Reducing the COLA
• Increasing the retirement age