I’m a good ways away from retirement (unfortunately), but I’ve always run my retirement scenarios with no SS included in my math.
I think it’ll still be there in some capacity in 20-30 years, but I have no idea what it’ll look like, so it’s easier to plan without it and be better off if it is impactful in the future.
I’m 40, and I would be surprised if social security, Medicare / Medicaid, and veterans benefits (basically the VA as we know it) endure in my lifetime. The right has been gunning for that shit my entire life. Just look at their success with abortion regulations.
Almost all of GOP’s “reforms” for social security start with people 50 or 45 years old at their inception. It’s a lot easier to get current reitrees to reduce benefits for future retirees if you assure them that their own benefits are safe. But I agree that SS/MC will still be around, even if the purchasing power of benefits erodes substantially. It’s easier, and more conservative, to plan without SS, though, and retirement is so important that it makes sense to have safety factors at every step.