The people's voice of reason
The people's voice of reason
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While many of us look forward to Friday, with its end-of-the-workweek designation and our weekend plans, certain cultures consider it an unlucky day. Some people, suffering from triskaidekaphobia, are truly terrified of the number 13. Combine the two factors and it’s not surprising that many believe that Friday the 13th is a frightening day. While superstitions play an important part in the Friday the 13th jitters, we offer a different approach to this “unlucky” day with 13 fearless thing...
Is Social Security a topic in your conversations these days? Are you familiar with the lingo used to describe Social Security benefits, or does it sound like a new vocabulary to you? Social Security employees strive to explain benefits using easy-to-understand, plain language. But if a technical term or acronym (an abbreviation of the first letters of words in a phrase) that you don't know slips into the conversation or appears in written material, you can easily find the meaning in our online...
Right now is the perfect time to start planning for a secure, comfortable retirement. And you can count on Social Security to help you begin the process. First, we encourage you to set up an online my Social Security account so you can verify your lifetime earnings record and make sure you get credit for all of your contributions to the Social Security system through the Federal Insurance Contributions Act (FICA) payroll taxes. If you haven’t set up your personal my Social Security account y...
For more and more Americans, reaching retirement age no longer means the end of an active working life. Many people are choosing to work past the age of 65, according to the Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics. If you’re willing and able, maintaining gainful employment later in life could go a long way toward ensuring a secure future for you and your family. Besides providing you with additional income to pay your bills, extending your employment or working for yourself could boo...
Social Security continues to evaluate and improve how we protect what’s important to you. We take this responsibility seriously, and we have a robust cybersecurity program in place to help protect the personal information you entrust to us. Adding additional security measures to safeguard your personal information — but making them easy to use — is a vital part of keeping you safe and secure. Most people who do business with us online use our my Social Security portal, where, if you curre...
One of the greatest gifts you can give a grandchild is the gift of financial literacy. Helping them save money early in life and showing them how to make wise spending decisions goes a long way toward a bright financial future. As they get older, they may want to save for special purchases or their college education. You can encourage them when they get their first job to begin saving for the future, including their retirement. Planning for the Future with my Social Security When you celebrate...
For more than 80 years, Social Security has helped secure today and tomorrow with information, tools, and resources to meet our customers’ changing needs and lifestyles. In April, we celebrate National Social Security Month and encourage you to know your Social Security by exploring what you can do online at www.socialsecurity.gov. Social Security is collaborating with groups and organizations around the country to host numerous events and activities to raise awareness about our many valuable b...
Enjoying a comfortable retirement is everyone’s dream. For over 80 years, Social Security has been helping people realize those dreams, assisting people through life’s journey with a variety of benefits. It’s up to you as to when you can start retirement benefits. You could start them a little earlier or wait until your “full retirement age.” There are benefits to either decision, pun intended. Full retirement age refers to the age when a person can receive their Social Security benefits without...
Saving for the future is a vital part of ensuring a secure retirement. American Savings Education Council and America Saves coordinate the annual America Saves Week. Started in 2007, the week is an annual opportunity for organizations to promote good savings behavior and a chance for individuals to assess their own saving status. For years, Social Security has collaborated with America Saves Week to promote our shared mission of helping millions of people save for their future. This year,...
It's that time of year again. Preparing for tax season can seem overwhelming. Some forms and paperwork might be difficult to track down. If you misplaced your Benefits Statement or haven't received it by the end of January, we've made it easy for you to go online to request a replacement with my Social Security. An SSA-1099, also called a Benefit Statement, is a tax form Social Security mails each year in January to the more than 60 million people who receive Social Security benefits. It shows...
Gathering with family and friends during the holiday season reminds us we’re part of a strong community. And sometimes, in the spirit of the season, we break into song. Our take on “The Twelve Days of Christmas” — a holiday favorite since 1780 — highlights the national community we care for all year long. We call it “The Twelve Sites of Social Security.” For the first site of Social Security, we give to you: our home page, www.socialsecurity.gov. It’s the place to go for all things Social S...
One of the most common threats we face is identity theft. Just imagine someone stealing your information and pretending to be you. You’d have no control as this person acts in your name, spending money — and possibly, ruining your credit. That’s one trick you can do without, which is why we’ve added an extra layer of security for our customers when they interact with us online. Your my Social Security at www.socialsecurity.gov/myaccount is a safe and secure place to do business with us. On July...
It’s healthy to be skeptical in a world of uncertainties. Major news networks sometimes broadcast conflicting facts that require a bit of research to verify. There’s even a day in October dedicated to skeptics. So, this is the perfect time to tell all the skeptics that there’s no reason to think Social Security won’t be here for you well into the future. Recently, the Social Security Board of Trustees released its 76th annual report to Congress presenting the financial status of the Social...
When a person becomes disabled, it can be a very stressful time in their life. There are many questions and unknowns when you have to transition out of the workforce due to medical issues. While an employer may offer short or long-term disability, most people faced with a disability will file for benefits with Social Security. If you’re facing life with a disability and don’t know where to start, we encourage you to visit our website at www.socialsecurity.gov/disabilityssi. You can apply for...
Question: I'm retired and the only income I have is a monthly withdrawal from an Individual Retirement Account (IRA). Are the IRA withdrawals considered "earnings?" Could they reduce my monthly Social Security benefits? Answer: No. We count only the wages you earn from a job or your net profit if you're self-employed. Non-work income such as pensions, annuities, investment income, interest, capital gains, and other government benefits are not counted and will not affect your Social Security...
Your first job is a landmark occasion. You’re meeting new people, making professional connections, and probably cashing that first paycheck. You might be a little surprised when you see a portion of your earnings go to a tax called “FICA” for the Federal Insurance Contributions Act. This deduction goes to Social Security and is your way of helping us secure your today and tomorrow. It’s our job to keep the safety net of Social Security strong through your incremental contributions. Underst...
Over half a million people who live outside the United States receive some kind of Social Security benefit, including retired and disabled workers, as well as spouses, widows, widowers, and children. If you’re a U.S. citizen, you may receive your Social Security payments outside the United States as long as you are eligible. When we say you are “outside the United States,” we mean you’re not in one of the 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam, the Nor...
Question: What is the benefit amount a spouse may be entitled to receive? Answer: If you’re eligible for both your own retirement benefit and for benefits as a spouse, we will always pay you benefits based on your record first. If your benefit as a spouse is higher than your retirement benefit, you will receive a combination of benefits equaling the higher spouse's benefits. A spouse generally receives 50 percent of the retired worker's full benefit, unless the spouse begins collecting b...
April is Financial Literacy Month, which is a perfect time to take stock (pun intended) of your retirement savings. Social Security is there to help secure your future, but savings should be the foundation of a bigger retirement plan. Have you ever done business online? The convenience and safety of doing business online is another way we’re meeting the changing needs and lifestyles of our customers. You can open your own personal my Social Security account within a matter of minutes and have ac...
Ten years ago, on March 21, 2006, the CEO of Twitter sent out his first tweet. It’s appropriate, with spring coming, that the famous CEO was chirping in a format that the world now embraces as a vital form of interactive communication. Similarly, Social Security is no stranger to social media. Updated regularly, Social Security Matters is our blog. It’s our hub for Social Security news, like new features to my Social Security, changes in policy, retirement planning, and benefit information. The...
Just about every minute, a woman dies of heart disease. But the majority of these deaths are avoidable. That’s why Social Security encourages you to participate in National Wear Red Day on February 5, which aims to raise awareness about preventing heart disease and stroke among women. Social Security plays an important role in many women’s lives — nearly 60 percent of people receiving Social Security benefits are women. Social Security provides important financial assistance to women in times...
National Trivia Day reminds us that knowledge about Social Security empowers you and prepares you for retirement. Remember, the more you know about Social Security, the more control you have over your bright future. What is the average number of years someone has paid into Social Security once they start collecting disability benefits? A)2 B) 7 C) 13 D) 22 Because the Social Security Act sets out a strict definition of disability, our beneficiaries are among the most severely disabled people in...
Familiar carols are a part of the season. This song is so popular that holiday revelers clamored for it again. It’s “The Twelve Sites of Social Security,” inspired by the popular traditional holiday song, “The Twelve Days of Christmas,” — a holiday favorite since 1780. For the FIRST site of Social Security, we give to you: our home page, www.socialsecurity.gov. It’s the place to go for all things Social Security. Everything you could want — from online services and benefit screening tools...
As if the holidays weren’t exciting enough, it’s November and that means election month. Current and future election hopefuls are prepping speeches and rallying every resource available for the big win. Even if you aren’t running for office, you can win big, too, by planning for retirement. When you decide to retire, the easiest and most convenient way to do it is right from the comfort of your home. Go to www.socialsecurity.gov where you can apply for retirement benefits in as little as 15 mi...
If you handle the finances of someone who receives benefits from Social Security, or you know someone who may need help managing his or her benefits, you may want to consider applying to be a representative payee. A representative payee is someone who receives Social Security or Supplemental Security Income (SSI) payments on behalf of a person not capable of managing the funds on his or her own. A representative payee makes sure an individual’s basic needs are met by using the money to p...