[glasscollector]

I'd say you're spot on Hatha
Would you say participating in Social Security is legal or lawful?

I'd say first that it is stupid. Your participation is not what I would consider informed consent. They do not tell you that if you participate, you also agree to pay Federal Income Taxes. And to top off this idiocy, if you set aside what they take out of your paycheck until you are 65, and put all that money into interest bearing accounts, you would have far more wealth than you will ever get from Social Security old age benefits.

Now, is it lawful? If you agree to it it's lawful until you discover it is a fraud, at which time is becomes unlawful. As for 'legal'? Yes it is perfectly legal because it was created by Statutes. That doesn't mean it is a good idea for you to participate. They have to trick you (use fraud) into agreeing to participate in this plan. And once you are in, they do not make it easy to get out if you feel that is the best thing for you. In exchange for a small promised benefit out in the unforseeable future, they require you to pay in a pretty hefty percentage of your pay--now when they need it and for all the nows until you qualify for benefits--at age 62 or 65, and before you get there they will raise the retirement age. It's a fraud, and in my view, it's unlawful.


Hatha