We, the undersigned, call on the Administration and Congress to address a fundamental lack of transparency, ownership, and fairness in the Social Security system.

For decades, American workers are required to contribute a portion of every paycheck to Social Security. Over a lifetime, these contributions often total hundreds of thousands of dollars. Yet workers have no direct ownership of these contributions, limited visibility into what they have paid, and no meaningful control over how or when those funds are returned.

In many cases, individuals who die before or shortly after retirement receive only a fraction of what they contributed, with limited ability to pass that value to their families. This lack of transparency and control undermines trust in a system that millions of Americans depend on.

We respectfully urge the Administration and Congress to implement the following reforms within the system administered by the Social Security Administration:

Full Transparency

Provide every worker with clear, accessible reporting of total lifetime contributions and projected benefits.

Optional Personal Account Component

Allow workers to direct a portion of future contributions into individually owned, inheritable retirement accounts.

Optional Lump-Sum Access at Retirement

Permit retirees to elect a partial lump-sum distribution in exchange for an actuarially adjusted monthly benefit.

Fairness Protections for Early Death

Ensure that a defined portion of a worker’s contributions is preserved for beneficiaries if the worker dies before or shortly after retirement.

These reforms would preserve Social Security’s role as a safety net while restoring transparency, accountability, and a measure of ownership for American workers.