Boy do I feel left out. I just saw on the news that state and local retired workers in the US got an average 37% raise in pension between 2000 and 2004. I'm a retired state employee and my increase was about 12% during that period. I think social security payments for that period went up less than that.

I don't think anybody knows for sure what current inflation rates have been recently, but I'm sure they have exceeded 3% annually during that period.

Wouldn't it be terrible if fuzzy math was being used to minimumize the inflation rate when in reality it is in double digets?

I think the way teacher's retirement in Tennessee is written, we get a cost of living adjustment up to 3%, but if the cost of living goes up more that that, it's just tough luck. However, we are both of social security and both have a small pension. With four small incomes we can get by, but medicare suppliment and drug costs wipe out one, so we are living on three. People who depend on just social security must be starving.

My advise, no matter how young you are, is to start building those IRA's and 401k's, and buy an acre out in the country somewhere. It could be the difference between a cold water flat and a cruise ship someday.
Howard