Download This PaperSocial Security Trust Fund Cash Flows and Reserves
Social Security Bulletin, 75(1): 1-34, 2015
34 Pages Posted: 15 Feb 2015
Date Written: February 10, 2015
Abstract
This article examines the Social Security trust fund reserves and cash flows and their interrelationships with the Treasury's cash management operations and the budget of the rest of the federal government. The article considers the extent to which the trust fund reserves and interest income reflect cash transactions between the trust funds and the public and are not, as some commenters have asserted, just accounting fictions. It also considers whether, under the Social Security system's self-financing framework, an improvement in trust fund finances can help relieve the accumulated debt commitments of the rest of the federal government.
Keywords: Social Security, OASDI, Trust Fund, government budget
JEL Classification: H55, H610
Suggested Citation: Suggested Citation