Despite the fact that political leaders often refer to it as a "trust fund," Americans really don't own or control the contribution they're compelled to make to Social Security. They can't bequeath their lifelong contribution to heirs, they can't invest it, and the Congress can appropriate the fund any time it sees fit. In an ownership society, each American would take possession of the money currently taken from his paycheck for Social Security. He could invest it in a manner that would give him far greater long-term returns than the current system. Most importantly, that fund would become his property, not the government's -- meaning he could leave it to his children upon his death. Such a system would enable the working poor to accumulate assets from generation to generation. Our current Social Security system isn't sustainable. Ownership-based systems have worked very well elsewhere, most notably in Chile. Without reform, preferably a move toward ownership, it's likely to fail, and younger working Americans won't see any benefits at all.