Informative Speech on Social Security

Informative Speech on Social Security

Informative Speech. In this speech your goal is to inform your audience as to the details of the topic
suggestion below. Being an Informative Speech you are not asked to discuss the merits of the program.
Your task, as is consistent with an informative speech, is to provide your audience the details

(information) as to the proposed topic below:

Social Security is a debated topic in every Presidential Election and one gaining increasing attention as
more and more baby boomers retire. For this speech students should research the history and functioning
of the current Social Security System. From this research you are to present an informative speech on
Social Security. Topics may include: A brief history of the social security system; how to apply for benefits
and how one qualifies; the pros and cons of delaying benefits; how to afford to live off of the benefits
received from Social Security; strategies to adopt while you are young to be able to afford to retire . . .

Also require an outline in the following format:
Sample Speech Outline
Title of Speech

Purpose: (Your purpose for this speech)

INFORMATIVE SPEECH ON SOCIAL SECURITY 2

Informative Speech on Social Security

“My fellow Americans, I salute you all. Of late, there have been a lot of discussions regarding
Social Security and how the program has contributed in improving the lives of people when they
retire. I have a lot of experience in this subject, especially because my father was an employee at
the Social Security where he served the program for more than twenty years. This afternoon, I’m
going to give you some information about the history and the current function of the Social
Security System, which I believe will be of great help to you. First, I will give you a brief
history about Social Security in the United States, how to apply for benefits, and how one
qualifies for such benefits from the program. In addition, I will also inform you the pros and cons
of delaying benefits, how to afford living off of the benefits received from Social Security, and
the strategies that you need to adopt while your are young in order to be able to afford to retire.
The origins of social insurance has its foundation on economic security as an issue that includes
how an individual or a family can offer an assurance of income when a person is too old to work,
when a breadwinner in a family dies, or when an employees is exposed to an involuntary
employment. Throughout human history, societies have strived to deal with this problem through
various approaches. The importance of social insurance was realized more after the Industrial

INFORMATIVE SPEECH ON SOCIAL SECURITY 3

Revolution because before this revolution most Americans lived on their land and their life
expectancy was short. As a result of the Industrial Revolution, the life expectancy for most
Americans increased because of the improvement in health care that made most of them to live
into old age. The Social Security was eventually started in America during the Franklin
Roosevelt presidency when the Social Security Act of 1935 was enacted.
Although Social Security helps many Americans not everyone is qualified to receive Social
Security Benefits. In order to qualify for these benefits, a worker requires to have an income of at
least 40 quarterly credits where one credit is gained by a worker after earring at least $900 in a
period of three months while paying Social Security taxes on that amount. The amount of
income that one requires to earn a credit changes annually, but this never affects the credits
already earned. When a worker earns 40 credits, he permanently qualifies for the Social Security
Benefits. Calculation of retirement benefits is done using a worker’s highest earnings in 35 years.
Moreover, only the earnings where the worker paid Social Security taxes are included in the
calculations.
In order to afford living off on the benefits received from Social Security, it is imperative to
ensure that you start paying for the Social Security early enough. This will also imply that you
will have more benefits after since calculation is done on the basis of the number of years you
have worked. As such, you should avoid asking for early retirements because the benefits will
not be enough to sustain you. Paying Social Security taxes when young is one of the strategies to
ensure you get enough benefits to sustain you after retirement.
To sum up, the introduction of Social Security in the US was a positive move since the program
has helped many Americans. The history and the current function of Social Security are essential

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as they make us understand how the program came into existence. Social Security was started
after the Industrial Revolution and workers need to accumulate credits to qualify for benefits. It
is important for us to start saving early to have enough benefits when we retire. I strongly believe
that you now have a better understanding of Social Security and how it operates. Thank you very
much for your attention and may God bless you.”
References

DeWitt, L. (2010). The Development of Social Security in America. Social Security Bulletin, 70