RELAX — SOCIAL SECURITY IS BACKED BY THE PROMISES OF POLITICIANS WHO’LL BE OUT OF OFFICE BY THEN: Did You Ever Notice the Asterisk on Your Social Security Statement? “Clearly, in 2009, the government’s prediction — that Social Security would have to be cut to 78 percent of benefits come 2041 — was overly optimistic. Now, in 2015, they are projecting 2033, eight years earlier, with one percentage point less of my projected benefits. The projections have steadily worsened over the past few years, helped by a much weaker economy than the federal government expected. Does anyone really expect these numbers to get better?”