Why I Took Social Security Early - interesting series of stories.

[sinkingfeeling]

http://money.cnn.com/galleries/2010/news/1008/gallery.early_social_social_security/index.html

"At age 62, I was laid off from my job when the small landscaping company where I worked as a bookkeeper was acquired by a Canadian conglomerate. I had $10,000 in credit card debt at the time and aside from unemployment benefits, I had no other source of income."

" In March of 2008, at age 60, I lost my job of 5 years that we moved halfway across the country to take. Six months later, my wife, aged 59, also lost her job. I had been working as an engineer at General Motors and my wife was an administrative assistant for an auto parts maker, so we took a hit from the auto industry's collapse."

[NC_Nurse]

1. Might as well get them now before they cut them.

[Historic NY]

2. I am amazed how little some people get.....I'm lucky I guess.

[Warren Stupidity]

3. See - this is why we should raise the age to 80!

These leeches have no shame.

[trof]

4. I played the odds, started at 62.

For me, break even would come at age 76 in 7 more years.
At 62 I figured it was a crap shoot.
I could get run over by a truck before reaching 65 and not collect a nickle. I'm still happy with my decision.

[dixiegrrrrl]

6. You and me both, trof.

But my figures did not count the fact that the COLA is probably never coming back.

[demigoddess]

5. these are mostly high earning people with some savings and

pensions. And they say they are just 'limping along'?? I wonder what their expenses are--- when you retire you are supposed to have your house paid off and as much savings you could pile up. These people seem to be the ones that follow the republican ideal, their own business or a high powered jobs, then they get hit by the bad greed is good economy and need to fall back on the social insurance program. If these guys are just 'limping along' I worry about the people who do not have 401Ks and who earned minimum their whole life and were not able to pile up savings.

[Crazy Dave]

7. Those are the ones people make jokes about (minimum earners)

The ones who have to eat pet food and use their stoves for heat. In my town there are many homeless people age 60+. Fire codes will only allow so many people in the shelters at one time so the streets are lined for half a block in the winter and summer, rain or shine with people waiting or who can't get in.