Social Security is facing a serious financial crisis. By 2032, the program's trust fund is projected to be depleted, triggering automatic benefit reductions unless Congress acts. But the problem runs deeper than a looming funding shortfall. Social Security was built for a different era—one with more workers supporting fewer retirees and shorter retirement periods.

In this episode of The Economist Next Door, Paul Mueller is joined by Dave Hebert, head of AIER's Economic Freedom Team, for a conversation about why Social Security is struggling, why many proposed fixes may only delay the problem, and what a fundamentally different approach to retirement might look like.

They discuss the history of Social Security, the reality behind the trust fund, the challenges of raising taxes or adjusting retirement ages, and whether a system built around personal retirement accounts could provide a more sustainable path forward.