OASI (Old Agent Survivors Insurance Fund)
The trust fund behind Social Security. David Friedberg suggests that equity from government deals should be placed into this fund to help solve its financial crisis.
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8/31/2025, 4:31:54 AM
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8/31/2025, 5:04:33 AM
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8/31/2025, 4:37:22 AM
Summary
The Old-Age and Survivors Insurance (OASI) Trust Fund is a U.S. Treasury account established on January 1, 1940, under the Social Security Act Amendments of 1939. Managed by the Social Security Administration, its primary purpose is to pay Social Security benefits to retired workers, their surviving spouses, and eligible children, funded mainly by payroll taxes (FICA and SECA). The fund faces a significant financial challenge, with projections indicating its exhaustion by 2033. In response to this looming crisis and as part of a new U.S. industrial strategy, it has been proposed that returns from a potential U.S. Sovereign Wealth Fund, which could be established through an "Equity for Grants Model" involving government equity stakes in companies like Intel, be directed to OASI to bolster its solvency, a measure that would require congressional approval.
Referenced in 1 Document
Research Data
Extracted Attributes
Type
Trust Fund, Organization
Purpose
Pays Social Security benefits to retired workers, their surviving spouses, and eligible children
Location
United States Treasury account
Managed By
Social Security Administration (SSA)
Funding Sources
Payroll taxes (Federal Insurance Contributions Act - FICA, Self-Employment Contributions Act - SECA)
Board of Trustees
Yes, 6 members (4 ex-officio)
Governing Legislation
Social Security Act Amendments of 1939
Projected Exhaustion Date (OASI alone)
2033
Projected Exhaustion Date (Combined OASI and DI)
2034
Timeline
- An old-age reserve account was established under the Social Security Act. (Source: web_search_results)
1935
- The Social Security Act Amendments of 1939 created the Old-Age and Survivors Insurance (OASI) Trust Fund and established its Board of Trustees. (Source: web_search_results)
1939
- The Old-Age and Survivors Insurance (OASI) Trust Fund became effective, superseding the old-age reserve account. (Source: web_search_results)
1940-01-01
- Projected exhaustion date for the OASI Trust Fund alone, after which it would only be able to pay approximately three-quarters of promised benefits from ongoing tax revenues. (Source: web_search_results)
2033
- Projected exhaustion date for the combined Old-Age and Survivors Insurance (OASI) and Disability Insurance (DI) Trust Funds. (Source: web_search_results)
2034
Web Search Results
- Old-Age and Survivors Insurance (OASI) Trust Fund Overview
The Old-Age and Survivors Insurance (OASI) Trust Fund is a Treasury account used to pay Social Security benefits. The fund holds receipts from payroll taxes earmarked for Social Security benefits other than disability insurance under the Federal Insurance Contributions Act and the Self-Employment Contributions Act. The fund has the standing authority to pay monthly benefits to retired workers and their survivors without separate congressional appropriations. [...] The Old-Age and Survivors Insurance (OASI) Trust Fund is a U.S. Treasury account holding the tax receipts that fund Social Security benefits paid to retired workers, their surviving spouses, and their eligible children. The fund is managed by the Social Security Administration (SSA), which has the authority to distribute OASI Trust Fund benefits to eligible recipients. ### Key Takeaways [...] The Old-Age Survivors Insurance (OASI) Trust Fund is one part of the Social Security program. Individuals pay into the program when they work, allowing them to receive benefits when they retire. Payroll taxes fund the Old-Age and Survivors Insurance Trust Fund. The ongoing wave of baby boomer retirements is expected to reduce the amount of taxes collected and earmarked for OASI. Sponsored Ask a Pro: "What Are the Most Common RMD Tax Issues?" Information for 2025.”
- Old-Age & Survivors Insurance Trust Fund
The Old-Age and Survivors Insurance (OASI) Trust Fund was created pursuant to section 201 of the Social Security Act Amendments of 1939. These amendments also established a Board of Trustees. OASI became effective on January 1, 1940, and superseded the old-age reserve account established under the Social Security Act of 1935. The Board of Trustees currently consists of 6 members, 4 of whom automatically serve by virtue of their positions in the Federal Government. These 4 are the [...] The _Old-Age and Survivors Insurance Trust Fund_ is a separate account in the United States Treasury. A fixed proportion (dependent on the allocation of tax rates by trust fund) of the payroll taxes received under the Federal Insurance Contributions Act and the Self-Employment Contributions Act are deposited in the fund to the extent that such taxes are not needed immediately to pay expenses. Taxes are deposited in the fund on every business day. [...] Old-Age & Survivors Insurance Trust Fund Skip to main content Old-Age & Survivors Insurance Trust Fund Office of the Chief Actuary Beneficiary data Trust fund data Disability Insurance Trust Fund
- Social Security Trust Fund - Wikipedia
The "Social Security Trust Fund" comprises two separate funds that hold federal government debt obligations related to what are traditionally thought of as Social Security benefits. The larger of these funds is the Old-Age and Survivors Insurance (OASI) Trust Fund, which holds in trust special interest-bearing federal government securities bought with surplus OASI payroll tax revenues.( The second, smaller fund is the Disability Insurance (DI) Trust Fund, which holds in trust more of the [...] The Federal Old-Age and Survivors Insurance Trust Fund and Federal Disability Insurance Trust Fund (collectively, the Social Security Trust Fund or Trust Funds) are trust funds that provide for payment of Social Security "Social Security (United States)") (Old-Age, Survivors, and Disability Insurance; OASDI) benefits administered by the United States Social Security Administration.( [...] for the Old-Age and Survivors Insurance and Disability Insurance Trust Funds with revised projections for their ability to pay scheduled benefits to 2034 and 2057 respectively and by 2035 when hypothetically combined due to accelerated recovery from the COVID-19 recession.( In March 2023, the Treasury Department issued the annual trustees report for the Old-Age and Survivors Insurance and Disability Insurance Trust Funds with depletion date projections for the funds estimated at 2033 and 2097
- What are the Social Security trust funds, and how are they financed?
There are two Social Security trust funds: old-age and survivors insurance (OASI) and disability insurance (DI), though the two are often analyzed together as Old-Age, Survivors, and Disability Insurance (OASDI). The funds finance benefits for eligible retired and disabled workers and their spouses, dependents, and survivors. When revenue dedicated to financing OASI and DI exceeds program expenses, the surplus is credited to the respective trust funds, which invest in special interest-bearing [...] solvency by itself but the OASI trust fund will be exhausted by 2033, and the combined trust funds by 2034. If either event occurs, the Social Security Administration will only be able to pay a portion of benefits from payroll and other trust fund taxes collected—about three-quarters of promised benefits in the case of OASI. [...] The Social Security trust funds are financed chiefly through payroll taxes on workers covered by the OASDI program. Employers and employees each contribute 5.3 percent of the employee’s taxable wages for OASI and 0.9 percent for DI coverage as part of what are sometimes called Federal Insurance Contributions Act (FICA) taxes. For 2023, up to $160,200 in wages are subject to FICA taxes, a threshold updated for average wage growth each year. (Revenue from a separate 1.45 percent FICA tax is
- Policy Basics: Understanding the Social Security Trust Funds
Social Security’s financial operations are handled through two federal trust funds: the Old-Age and Survivors Insurance (OASI) trust fund and the Disability Insurance (DI) trust fund. Although legally distinct, they are often referred to collectively as “the Social Security trust fund.” All of Social Security’s payroll taxes and other earmarked income are deposited in the trust funds, and all of Social Security’s benefits and administrative expenses are paid from the trust funds.