Should Canada Pension Plan Participation Be Voluntary?

[dwday]

Stange, I have children, own a home, and work, and oddly enough if I could keep my CPP contributions I would have more money for savings with better returns.

The most you could have paid into the CPP in 2006 was about $1910. Thats because there is a contribution ceiling.

I spend more than that on beer.

Double that if you're self-employed.

[Kate Shaw]

Yes. For those of us from other countries who have both vested pension plans and Social Security coming to us, it would be nice to have that CPP money to spend while we are in Canada, before Mandatory Retirement forces us back to our own cozy country.

But I'm not holding my breath.

[Clinton P. Desveaux]

Stange, I have children, own a home, and work, and oddly enough if I could keep my CPP contributions I would have more money for savings with better returns.

The most you could have paid into the CPP in 2006 was about $1910. Thats because there is a contribution ceiling.

I spend more than that on beer.

I don't undestand your point. That $1910 is my money which I earned, why should I be prevented from investing it?

[Clinton P. Desveaux]

Why is there a "contribution ceiling" under this lowest common denominator nanny structure? What business of government is it how much I choose to put away for the future?

These people don't trust you with your own money.

[Clinton P. Desveaux]

Yes. For those of us from other countries who have both vested pension plans and Social Security coming to us, it would be nice to have that CPP money to spend while we are in Canada, before Mandatory Retirement forces us back to our own cozy country.

But I'm not holding my breath.

Great point!

[HeywoodFloyd]

Stange, I have children, own a home, and work, and oddly enough if I could keep my CPP contributions I would have more money for savings with better returns.

The most you could have paid into the CPP in 2006 was about $1910. Thats because there is a contribution ceiling.

I spend more than that on beer.

I don't undestand your point. That $1910 is my money which I earned, why should I be prevented from investing it?

You are investing it.

[Clinton P. Desveaux]

Stange, I have children, own a home, and work, and oddly enough if I could keep my CPP contributions I would have more money for savings with better returns.

The most you could have paid into the CPP in 2006 was about $1910. Thats because there is a contribution ceiling.

I spend more than that on beer.

I don't undestand your point. That $1910 is my money which I earned, why should I be prevented from investing it?

You are investing it.

I think you missed the point, I or anyone else should be able to opt out of the CPP and invest whatever monies I want when I want, not at the behest of the state.

[Rob E]

Stange, I have children, own a home, and work, and oddly enough if I could keep my CPP contributions I would have more money for savings with better returns.

The most you could have paid into the CPP in 2006 was about $1910. Thats because there is a contribution ceiling.

I spend more than that on beer.

I don't undestand your point. That $1910 is my money which I earned, why should I be prevented from investing it?

You are investing it.

Yes, but I'm being forced to invest it. I can find other places to invest for better returns. Plus what does the government do with that money. Does some of it go to groups that do or believe in things I do not. It does as the Liberals showed as so well. Why should my money do into that.

[Red Green]

Stange, I have children, own a home, and work, and oddly enough if I could keep my CPP contributions I would have more money for savings with better returns.

The most you could have paid into the CPP in 2006 was about $1910. Thats because there is a contribution ceiling.

I spend more than that on beer.

So you could have almost doubled your beer intake for the year if it had not been for CPP. And you would have been better off as well!

[Roy Wilson]

Should Canada Pension Plan Participation Be Voluntary?

Yes

Crap on this I agree with Green
Head up his ass

[Manganic]

Surprisingly, I too believe that CPP should be mandatory.

Yes; that does indeed surprise me.

Care to tell us why you would support such a tyrannical concept?

Because I do not believe the average Canadian can afford to save for retirement, and it serves as a basic safety net for the elderly, whom, in my opinion, deserve to be taken care of for their years of hard work.

Take for example a lifelong retail employee. I highly doubt that they can afford a fancy retirement package - and they do one of the most thankless jobs.

I am very pro-market, but it can't solve everything. Sometimes a touch of compassion is necessary in the right places.

But most people own homes, get jobs, and buy food, so why would they not be able to plan for retirement? You take a rather shallow view of individuals.

A large segment of society mortgages their home, both work, buy food, and still live from paycheque to paycheque. I would suggest that most people would struggle to put together any reasonable amount of money towards a retirement plan that may last two decades. If you don't believe that's the case, I feel you live a world of books rather than dealing with the average person.

I consider myself to be an average person.

I manage to do all of the above, and I don't live from paycheque to paycheque. I don't drive a particulary flashy car, I don't have a big-screen plasma TV, and my two computers are old beaters.

I put money away for retirement, buy food, pay my mortgage, car loan, and take a vacation from time to time.

It is possible; people just have to prioritize.

"Broke" is temporary. Poverty is a state of mind.

Relying on the government to look after you is a poverty mentality.

[Red Green]

Should Canada Pension Plan Participation Be Voluntary?

Yes

Crap on this I agree with Green
Head up his ass

Well I take back what I said about you Roy. You're not a complete idiot...

[Tory_canuck]

I voted that it should not be voluntary.

I voted yes, mainly cuz, I am paying into something I am NOT benefitting from.When KFC shut down and I lost my job there, I applied for EI, but never got it, even though I paid into it.It would have been alot easier if I just didn't bother filling out the form.I got work pretty darn quickly.Ei's just a waste of time and money here in AB.I hope it does become voluntary, so I won't have to put another cent into it.EI is just a scam so gov't could milk more money out of taxpayers to put into general revenue and line their own pockets.CPP is the same thing.I like the old Reform/CA idea way better.I wish Harper would follow through on it.I hate paying for something I'm not getting any good from.

[Tory_canuck]

So individuals whom work in the retail sector, or food service, or any number of low-paying jobs do not deserve to be able to comfortably retire after "getting a job" for 50 years? Just because they didn't become doctors or lawyers with six figure salaries does not mean they do not deserve a comfortable old age.

The key question is SHOULD EI/CPP BE VOLUNTARY, which means, if you don't want to pay into it you can opt out, but if you want to have the same CPP/EI, you can.It just means you have the option available to decide whether you as an individual can opt out of the CPP/EI.We are not saying abolish the EI/CPP, we are just saying, mak it VOLUNTARY.

[Roy Wilson]

Should Canada Pension Plan Participation Be Voluntary?

Yes

Crap on this I agree with Green
Head up his ass

Well I take back what I said about you Roy. You're not a complete idiot...

Hell I knew that but you are still an ashole