Fastest Four: Social Security Is Running Out Of Time

Will Social Security still be there when you retire — or will it be 22% less than you're counting on? The 2026 Social Security Trustees' Report moved the trust fund depletion date up to 2032 — one year sooner than last year's estimate. A nonpartisan watchdog says it's the worst shape the program has been in since 1983, with the 75-year funding shortfall now at its highest level since 1977. The fixes have been on the table for decades. But the longer Congress waits, the more painful they get — a 34% payroll tax hike today, 40% if they wait until 2034. And the current administration has no specific plan. Your retirement is on you. Social Security needs saving.