Funding Retirement

Host Al Lewis suggests the "ShopAmerica Gift Card" — a way to exchange a government check for a higher value gift card through an independent website. Greg Anrig is wary of this type of public-private partnership and says people are satisfied with how they are getting their government checks now. Jason Fichtner has similar concerns and proposes making this a private initiative through banks.

Judith from Massachusetts wants to stop reviews for a category of Social Security called "child disabled before the age of 22" at the age of full retirement. Fichtner and Anrig both agree this is a good way to decrease the workload on the Social Security administration at a time when more baby boomers are filing for retirement.

Susan from Bahama, N.C., wants to place pension funds in a publicly-insured infrastructure bank. Anrig agrees with Susan that more needs to be done to fund infrastructure projects and thinks retirement funds could be a good way to capitalize these projects. Fichtner is concerned about how a public infrastructure bank would be administered and that it could create another government entity in need of a bailout, if mismanaged.

For our "Little Fix," Andres from Kansas City, Mo., proposes a mandatory two-year service program for all 18-year-olds in the United States. The commitment could be postponed until after a person gets an undergraduate degree, and the service could be in the military or civil sectors.

Music: "Right Now" by Mocean Worker