The Social Security trust funds are financial accounts in the U.S. Treasury. Social Security taxes and other income are deposited in these accounts, and Social Security benefits are paid from them. The only purposes for which these trust funds can be used are to pay benefits and program administrative costs.

Congressional Salaries As of 2020, the annual salary for any congressman, from first-term representatives to the most senior members – except those holding leadership positions – was set at $174,000. This was the compensation level set as of January 1, 2009, and frozen by law in the intervening years.

How Are the Trust Funds Invested? The Social Security trust funds are invested entirely in U.S. Treasury securities. By the end of 2019, the trust funds had accumulated nearly $2.9 trillion worth of Treasury securities, earning an average interest rate of 2.2 percent during that year.

As of 2021, the Trust Fund contained (or alternatively, was owed) $2.908 trillion The Trust Fund is required by law to be invested in non-marketable securities issued and guaranteed by the “full faith and credit” of the federal government.

This amount is equal to 261 percent of the estimated annual expenditures for 2020. The 2019 Trustees Report had projected a $1.0 billion increase in combined trust fund reserves during 2019 under the intermediate assumptions….Summary: Actuarial Status of the Social Security Trust Funds.

Federal law requires you to report to the Social Security Administration if you are beneficiary of an inheritance – even if you refuse to accept the inheritance. Failing to report an inheritance can result in financial penalties and cause your SSI payments to stop for up to three years.

In general, inheritance money will only have an effect if you receive Supplemental Security Income (SSI), but will not if you are receiving Disability Insurance Benefits (SSDI). If you receive Supplemental Security Income (SSI), then you likely will have your benefits cut or potentially eliminated.