The clock is ticking on Social Security, and the National Association of Registered Social Security Analysts (NARSSA) wants voters to stop accepting vague campaign promises. With the 2026 Trustees Report projecting the OASI Trust Fund can only pay full benefits through the fourth quarter of 2032, the organization is demanding that every Senate candidate answer ten specific questions before Election Day on November 3rd.
NARSSA (narssa.org), the leading professional body that certifies Social Security advisors through its RSSA® designation, argues that broad pledges to “protect” the program are no longer acceptable. The group is urging both voters and the media to press candidates for concrete details on how they would address the program’s long-term financing gap.
According to the 2026 Social Security Trustees Report, the Old-Age and Survivors Insurance (OASI) Trust Fund will have enough reserves to pay 100% of scheduled benefits only until the fourth quarter of 2032. If Congress fails to act, continuing program income would cover roughly 78% of scheduled OASI benefits at that point. When the OASI and Disability Insurance funds are considered together, reserves are projected to last until 2034, at which point about 83% of scheduled benefits could still be paid.
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“Social Security is too important to millions of American families for candidates to rely on broad promises to ‘protect’ it,” the organization stated. “Voters deserve to know what specific changes candidates would support, who would be affected, and when they believe Congress should act. The longer lawmakers wait, the fewer options they will have and the more difficult it becomes to phase in changes gradually and fairly.”
While Social Security won’t completely “run out of money” in 2032, the financing shortfall is very real, and congressional intervention will be necessary to prevent a reduction in scheduled benefits. The Trustees have specifically recommended that lawmakers act in a timely manner so changes can be phased in gradually, giving workers and beneficiaries time to adjust.
NARSSA believes Americans deserve more than assurances that candidates will simply “protect Social Security.” They deserve to know how their elected representatives intend to protect it.
Ten Questions Every Senate Candidate Should Answer
1. What is your specific plan to address Social Security’s long-term financing shortfall? Beyond saying that you will “protect Social Security,” what specific reforms would you support?
2. Should Congress act during the Senate term beginning in 2027, or wait until the 2032 OASI reserve-depletion date is closer? If you favor waiting, what advantage would postponing action provide?
3. Would your solution rely on additional revenue, changes to scheduled benefits, or a combination of both? Who would pay more or receive less under your approach?
4. Would you support increasing Social Security payroll-tax revenue? Would you consider increasing the payroll-tax rate, raising or eliminating the taxable wage cap, taxing earnings again above a higher threshold, or another source of revenue?
5. Would you support any changes to scheduled Social Security benefits? For example, would you consider changing the full retirement age, benefit formula, cost-of-living adjustment, or benefits for higher-income retirees?
6. What protections would you provide for people already receiving Social Security or approaching retirement? Should current beneficiaries and workers within five or ten years of retirement be exempt from future changes?
7. What would your Social Security plan mean for younger Americans? Should today’s workers in their 20s, 30s, 40s and 50s expect to pay more, work longer, receive different benefits—or some combination of these?
8. Would you support raising Social Security’s full retirement age above 67? If so, how would your proposal account for individuals in physically demanding occupations, workers with shorter life expectancies, and those unable to remain employed longer?
9. How would your plan protect Social Security’s broader insurance benefits? Social Security provides more than retirement income. How would your proposal affect surviving spouses, dependent children, spouses with lower lifetime earnings, and people with disabilities?
10. If Congress has not enacted reform before OASI reserves are depleted, what would you vote to do? What specific action would you support to prevent scheduled Social Security benefits from exceeding the revenue available to pay them?
About NARSSA
Founded in 2017, the National Association of Registered Social Security Analysts (NARSSA) is the nation’s leading education, credentialing, and technology organization dedicated exclusively to Social Security planning. Through its nationally recognized RSSA® (Registered Social Security Analyst®) designation, comprehensive education programs, and proprietary RSSA Roadmap® software, NARSSA equips financial, insurance, and tax professionals with the specialized knowledge and tools needed to help individuals and families make more informed Social Security claiming decisions and strengthen retirement outcomes.
NARSSA is an AgeTech Collaborative™ from AARP® portfolio company, and its RSSA® education program is offered through leading educational institutions, including The American College of Financial Services and Kaplan Financial Education. The organization’s mission is to improve financial security in retirement by ensuring every American has access to trusted Social Security education and guidance.
For more information, visit www.narssa.org or www.rssa.com.
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Note: RSSA® and the term Registered Social Security Analyst® are registered U.S trademarks owned by NARSSA.
David Splivalo
National Association of Registered Social Security Analysts
david.splivalo@rssa.com
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Why it matters: Social Security is not a distant problem—the OASI trust fund runs dry in less than a decade, and the next Senate term will be the last one with a realistic window to phase in gradual fixes. Voters who want to know whether their candidate will raise taxes, cut benefits, or raise the retirement age now have a clear checklist to demand answers.
