Seriously. We all want not to live in a cardboard box when we are old. Why can't we just figure out one way that works for everyone for old people not to die in poverty?
This is
one of the big critiques socialists have of the democratic party (at least, the one I think about the most, as a public policy type). That they are in love with the idea of competition and therefore "options." So everything has to be a "market" with a million different plans and programs and price points and then you pick the wrong health insurance and get charged out the butt for no coverage. In my urban planning studies this drove me INSANE-- for any one thing we would like to happen, there are three different programs with different funding formulas and you have to apply for the grant and follow their obscure metrics to get the grant, and then the limitations on the money keep you from doing what you really want to do with the money.
(Whether this is the best we can do at any given time based on the strength of the Republicans in congress, who's in the White House, etc, is a separate thing-- even when the Dems are in power this is the kind of program they propose)
But for now, setting a % to go to my 401k, and another % to go to my investment account which is invested in more conservative things than what my dad would like.
Yes, the socialist is investing his money in stocks and bonds. Oh well.