Well no. It's paid into an account to support your parents' generation. And, your kids' generation pays in to support your generation.

That brings me around to another thing. My son is earning around three times what my husband ever earned. He's earning more than my husband's and my income combined would be if I stilled worked as a graphic designer.

Now, I know it doesn't factor backwards like that. But, it brings me to the point that Boomers earning potential blew up the original estimated input for the system. Boomers, children of a post war population explosion, were the beneficiaries of a massive expansion of the middle class in post war America. There were so many more of the Boomers, all paying far and away much more into the system than anticipated. And, there are millions who never drew a dime.

Where is that money? Or at least, some calculation charting it?