Dave Ramsey Tells Retirees 'Don't Count On it, Or Don't Count On All Of It' — Why He Doubts Social Security's Future

Money‑management guru Dave Ramsey is urging Americans to treat Social Security as a bonus, not a backbone, warning that the program's cash crunch could slice benefits within a decade.

What Happened: "Don't count on it. Or don't count on all of it," a Ramsey Solutions blog post says, bluntly rebranding the program as "Social Insecurity.

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The alarm reflects the latest Social Security Trustees report, which projects the combined retirement and disability trust funds will run dry in 2035; ongoing payroll taxes would then cover only about 83 percent of promised checks. Demographic math compounds the squeeze: 2.7 workers now support each beneficiary, a ratio expected to fall to 2.4 by 2035 as baby boomers swell the over‑65 population from 61 million to 77 million.

Fear of a haircut is widespread. An AARP survey found 75 percent of Americans 50 and older doubt the system will be there when they need it.

Lawmakers have floated fixes ranging from higher payroll caps to later retirement ages, but Congress has failed to pass a solvency package since 1983. Ramsey's advice: assume reform stalls and build a private nest egg. "If by some miracle Social Security is around when you retire, you'll have some extra money to work with," he writes. "But understand, it's your job to take care of you and your family, not Uncle Sam's."

See Also: Can you guess how many retire with a $5,000,000 nest egg? The percentage may shock you.

With trust‑fund depletion inching closer each spring, the personal‑finance host's blunt mantra lands as a rallying cry: plan for less, save for more, and treat any future check as gravy.

What To Know: Ramsey has previously warned that Social Security was never meant to fund a full retirement. The average 2025 benefit of $1,976 a month leaves most retirees short, so he urges people to become debt‑free, stock an emergency fund, and invest 15% of their income for the future.

He also flags the program's shaky outlook: its trust funds could run dry by 2035, cutting payments by roughly a quarter as the worker‑to‑beneficiary ratio shrinks. Ramsey tells clients to view Social Security as a bonus, claim at 62 only if they invest the checks, and build wealth through disciplined saving rather than rely on Washington.

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