Baby Boomers on the Move in Maryland

In addition to being the state where African-American baby boomers make the most money, Maryland now holds the distinguished honor of being the state where the first baby boomer has applied for social security.

61-year-old Kathleen Casey-Kirschling applied for the benefits on Monday. She will be eligible to receive her monthly checks in January 2008 after she turns 62. Casey-Kirschling is one of about 80 million baby boomers who will qualify for social security in the coming years.

Meanwhile, Social Security Commissioner Michael Astrue says an estimated 10,000 baby boomers a day will become eligible for Social Security benefits over the next two decades, and the Social Security Trust Fund is projected to go broke in 2041.

So whose fault is this? Are politicians to blame for using social security money to fund unnecessary pork barrel funding projects? What about Corporate America Executives who mismanaged retirement funds? Or what about the wealthiest among us who have failed to pay their fair portion in taxes? My mother calls it “robbing Peter to pay Paul.” Whatever you want to call it, the social security tidal wave is going to hit and it’s going to hit HARD.

We baby boomers put the MOST into the system, so we should get the MOST out of it.

When asked about social security, the nation’s first recognized baby boomer said, “I think I’m just lucky to be at the top of the boom. I am blessed to have been in this generation and really blessed to take my Social Security now.” Casey-Kirschling encourages people to collect retirement benefits whenever they are eligible to take them.

I’ll only be 84 by the time the social security trust fund goes belly up so I think I’ll be in Maryland where the wealthiest among us live.