Please be my dad? yes or yes?

When calculating the bountiful returns that retirees allegedly would glean from stock investments, privateers use rosy projections about a continually booming market. but when predicting bankruptcy for social security, they switch to pessimistic projections of a low-growth economy with abnormally low payments into the fund. in fact, far from going broke, social security produces enormous surpluses. from __ to americans paid more in social security taxes than were paid out in benefits. according to the congressional budget office, the social security trust fund will remain solvent until at least social security is the only federal program that produces about $150 billion yearly surplus, the only program that shows every sign of being selfsupporting and solvent for over thirty years to come yet is repeatedly described by its enemies as being in danger of insolvency?

You are at a holiday dinner with your family. your relative makes the argument that the u.s. economy is resurgent and has recovered from the great recession of 2007 – 2009. economic growth, as measured by gdp, has been increasing from one quarter to the next. you beg to differ. how would you structure your argument with your relative? hint: you should think about two things, the accuracy of gdp measures, and whether gdp should be considered a comprehensive measure of a countries well-being.

Suppose you win a small lottery and have the choice of two ways to be paid: you can accept the money in a lump sum or in a series of payments over time. if you pick the lump sum, you get $2,950 today. if you pick payments over time, you get three payments: $1,000 today, $1,000 1 year from today, and $1,000 2 years from today. 1) at an interest rate of 6% per year, the winner would be better off accepting the (lump sum / payments over time), since it has the greater present value. 2) at an interest rate of 9% per year, the winner would be better off accepting the (lump sum / payments over time), since it has the greater present value. 3) years after you win the lottery, a friend in another country calls to ask your advice. by wild coincidence, she has just won another lottery with the same payout schemes. she must make a quick decision about whether to collect her money under the lump sum or the payments over time. what is the best advice to give your friend? a) the lump sum is always better. b) the payments over time are always better. c) it will depend on the interest rate; advise her to get a calculator. d) none of these answers is good advice.