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Social Security Surplus Shrinking

As the recession puts more and more Americans out of work, it also shrinks the billions in surpluses that are associated with Social Security. In this report, NBR's Darren Gersh gets his hands on some early projections of the Social Security budget through 2010 and finds out what the numbers mean for the future of the entitlement program.



Discuss this story on XChange - The NBR Blog.

Related NBR Stories & Links

• 01-07-09: "XChange, the NBR Blog" - Social Security Cash Flow Shows Why Obama is Concerned about Entitlements
• 06-27-06: Paulson's Plan to Save Social Security
• 05-26-08: Social Security Strategies
• 02-29-08: "Commentary" - Saving Social Security

External Links/Articles*

• Congressional Budget Office (CBO)
  This links to a March 2009 CBO document titled, "A Preliminary Analysis of the President's Budget and an Update of CBO's Budget and Economic Outlook." It includes projections of social security outlays.
• Hudson Institute
  The Hudson Institute is a non-partisan policy research organization. One of the institute's senior fellows, Chuck Blahous, is interviewed in Darren Gersh's report. This links to a Febraury 27, 2009 article authored by Blahous titled, "Social Security Fix Demands Honest Numbers."
• National Committee to Preserve Social Security and Medicare (NCPSSM)
  The NCPSSM's president & CEO, Barbara Kennelly, is interviewed in Darren Gersh's report.
• Social Security Administration
  This links to the "Actuarial Publications" section of the Social Security Administration's website. It includes information about the Trustees Report published in 2008. Darren Gersh's report features numbers from the latest report, which has not yet been published.
• Social Security Advisory Board (SSAB)
  The SSAB "is an independent, bipartisan board created by Congress and appointed by the President and the Congress to advise the President, the Congress, and the Commissioner of Social Security on matters related to the Social Security and Supplemental Security Income programs." Mark Warshawsky, one of the board members, is interviewed in Darren Gersh's report.

*Clicking these external links will take you off the NBR web site on PBS.org. NBR has no affiliation with these sites.