As the baby boomers start to reach retirement age, the percentage of the U.S. (AAA/Stable/A-1+) population needing government support will begin to mount. The babies who were born in 1946 turn 65 next year, which means they'll become eligible for Medicare. And when they decide to retire, they'll start collecting Social Security payments as well. But there's a huge problem brewing: The U.S. government is not collecting enough money to pay the bills. The problem isn't unique to the U.S.—virtually all the major industrial societies will have to deal with it sooner or later (see "Global Aging 2010: An Irreversible Truth," published Oct. 7, 2010). But the U.S. is worse off in some ways, especially because of its rapidly escalating
