The Debt Limit

[Triweasel]

Hopefully stuff like that gets into the discussion if Congress ever gets around to addressing the issue.

[SredniVashtar]

@Triweasel

I’m thinking more along the lines of leveraging the productivity gains associated with automation to allow people to retire earlier

We can replace medicare with chatgpt.

[Indy]

Bush proposed “individual accounts” in 2001 or so. The issue was that he wasn’t willing to increase taxes to make it “work”. Even then, I don’t think it does.

What private assets does the Canadian system use?

[John.S.Mill]

Get rid of the debt ceiling and just follow this rule:
You can’t spend more than you borrow.

[SredniVashtar]

@twig93

Agree, there was a small dip during the so-called “baby bust”. You can see it on this graph.

As baby boomers die off in larger numbers we’ll see a small reduction in the number of old people.

There may be a small dip, but the % old people will be permanently higher than it is now, and much higher than we are used to.

p25-1144.pdf

The future involves >20% old people, and nothing will change that, short of, I dunno, a massive pandemic that is only fatal to old people (lol).

[John.S.Mill]

@SredniVashtar

The future involves >20% old people, and nothing will change that, short of, I dunno, a massive pandemic that is only fatal to old people (lol).

old ppl need to stop hoarding wealth and die

[SredniVashtar]

Maybe make SS come from old people taxes. Boom, pay as you go.

[EimonGnome]

@twig93

Naw, the discount / extra are calculated about as reasonably as they can be given the gender-neutral no-underwriting limitations inherent in the program.

I was referring to the time value of money.

[John.S.Mill]

yes, there should be an age tax

[Cooke]

@Indy

What private assets does the Canadian system use?

This link provides insights into the investments that the CPP trust funds holds. Currently the fund is about a half-trillion dollars. Small by US standards but our economy is only one-tenth the size of the US one.

Net investment returns have been in excess of 10% per annum for the past decade. The most recent triennial report by the Chief Actuary of Canada indicated that the CPP is sustainable over the next 75-year projection period.

Investment Programs | CPP Investments

[SteveGrondin]

Covid says hold my beer.

But seriously, barring catastrophe, we expect population ratios to continue to move toward a higher proportion of aged. Where fertility rates land seems more variable than mortality improvement, at least to me.

[John.S.Mill]

at some point forced euthanasia of old people (and poor/sick/homeless people) will be inevitable. Probably within this century

[EimonGnome]

You’ve been nipping at the cooking sherry again,yes?

[YankeeTripper]

They made a movie about that in the 70s called Logan’s Run.

[John.S.Mill]

you’d rather people suffer than die a peaceful death?

[NormalDan]

Forced euthanasia = peaceful death in this scenario?

[John.S.Mill]

always! The best and purist morphine for our deceasing. Maybe throw in some psychedelics to make the journey more fun

[EimonGnome]

Blockquote
you’d rather people suffer than die a peaceful death?

depends on the people. Some, yes. Others, no

Did you have anyone specific in mind?

[John.S.Mill]

well, since we’re on the topic of over- and aging population, probably focus on the old and poor first.

who would you rather suffer than die peacefully

[Indy]

Thanks. The first thing that strikes me is that only 14% of the assets are invested in Canada.

I always assume that the US couldn’t do that. Our economy is too big. We would have too much money to invest and we can’t rule out US investments and the politics of “investing at home” would be too strong. If we are looking for “above market” returns, it’s very hard when you have that much money. And, the fund gets bigger over time so the size problem accumulates. There just aren’t that many nuggets of hidden opportunity.