Subject: Re: What's worse than lottery tickets?
The SSA is an insurance company. They have a pretty good idea of what the average age at death is and have set up the payments so that somewhere around age 80 is breakeven. If you live beyond age 80 then you clearly win in total payments by delaying the start. If you aren't sure you'll still be alive at 80, then starting the payments earlier makes sense. As our favorite philosopher once asked, "Do you feel lucky"?

Some deaths in 2024
Quincy Jones Age 91
Teri Garr Age 79
Kris Kristofferson Age 88
James Earl Jones Age 93
Richard Simmons Age 76
Martin Mull Age 80 -- OH NO! I didn't know he died. *sob*
Donald Sutherland Age 88
Eric Carmen Age 74
Melanie (last name Safka) Age 76

When the people you watched their movies and played their records start dying at around your own age, it starts to hit you.

OTOH, still kicking:
Dick Van Dyke: 98
Jimmy Carter: 100
Warren Buffett: 94
Clint Eastwood: 94