If you were to do a deep dive into Social Security's finances, you'd probably come away worried. Social Security is facing a serious fiscal shortfall in the coming years as older workers retire in droves, stripping the program of the payroll tax revenue that serves as its primary source of funding.

Now, Social Security can thankfully tap its trust funds for a period of time to keep up with scheduled benefits even as payroll tax revenue shrinks. But once those trust funds are depleted, Social Security may have no choice but to cut benefits. That would no doubt leave millions of current retirees in a serious lurch, not to mention upend the plans of current workers who are banking on those benefits to help fund their retirement.

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Source Fool.com