The Daily Collegian's opinion on President Bush's Social Security proposal ("Social Security issues will not be solved by individual investments," Feb. 7) pays too much heed to the president's vocal critics and largely ignores the facts.

According to the Bush's proposals, the president will only support allowing participants to invest in "low-risk, low-cost options like broad index funds."

That means people will only be able to choose from several conservative and diversified investments -- no crazy risks, and no choosing individual stocks, as the Collegian suggests.

Furthermore, no one needs a business degree to know that the stock market is virtually risk free over the long term.

If a 30-year-old had invested $100 in 1900 and retired in 1935 in the middle of the Great Depression, that person would have more than $200, even taking inflation into account.

That's a worst case scenario, but it is still more than the return on the money paid into the Social Security system.

The president's plan has some major drawbacks, like the high cost of implementing the new system.

But suggesting that it is "risky" for college students to invest money in conservative, diversified funds over a time period of more than four decades is silly -- an enormously greater risk is doing nothing at all.