THIS YEAR'S THEME IS A FINANCIALLY CONFIDENT YOU!

HELP SOMEONE YOU LOVE APPLY FOR SOCIAL SECURITY AND MORE

This Valentine’s Day, take time to remind your loved ones that Social Security helps people in all stages of life. We provide easy and convenient ways to learn about and apply for benefits. Using our online services, you can assist friends and family members to:

1. Apply for Supplemental Security Income (SSI).

Check if the person you are helping qualifies for SSI – and also apply – at http://www.ssa.gov/ssi.

2. Apply for Social Security Disability Insurance benefits.

When the unexpected happens and a loved one can no longer work due to a serious medical condition, our disability benefits can be a lifeline. Find out more at http://www.ssa.gov/benefits/disability.

3. Create a personal my Social Security account.

If your loved one is planning for retirement or interested in estimating their future benefits, they can create a free and secure my Social Security account at http://www.ssa.gov/myaccount and view their Social Security Statement.

4. Check the status of a pending application for benefits.

Checking the status of an application is quick and easy with a personal my Social Security account. If you don’t have an account, you can create one at http://www.ssa.gov/myaccount.

5. Appeal a decision for benefits.

If someone you know was denied Social Security benefits or SSI, they can request an appeal. We provide information on how to appeal decisions for both medical and non-medical reasons at http://www.ssa.gov/benefits/disability/appeal.html.

To discover more ways you can assist others, please visit http://www.ssa.gov/thirdparty/.

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BECOMING MORE FINANCIALLY CONFIDENT

Commit to saving successfully during America Saves Week! This year’s theme is A Financially Confident You. You can increase your financial confidence by building healthy saving habits and taking advantage of resources available to support your financial stability.

America Saves Week, which runs from February 27 through March 3, is a great opportunity to learn about good financial habits and assess your own saving status. It’s also a perfect time to create a plan, start saving, and begin your journey toward financial stability.

Planning and saving are key to a successful retirement. The earlier you start saving for retirement, the better off you will be in the future. People who have a plan are twice as likely to save effectively. We encourage you to pledge to save for America Saves Week at http://www.americasavesweek.org. Visit http://www.ssa.gov/retirement for useful information to help you plan for your retirement.

It’s never too early in your career to begin saving. Our website, http://www.ssa.gov/people/earlycareer, has resources that can help young workers secure their today and tomorrow. Share our infographic, Anytime is the Right Time to Save for Your Future, that provides helpful information about saving at http://www.ssa.gov/benefits/assets/materials/retirement/EN-05-10549.pdf.

The sooner you start saving, the more your money can grow. Please share this information with someone you love.

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ARE AMERICANS FINANCIALLY EDUCATED ON RETIREMENT SAVINGS?

Financial education helps people learn about savings, credit, and loans. It also helps prepare people for life changes and weather the unexpected. Financial knowledge is essential when planning for retirement.

So, how prepared are adults in the United States for their retirement? The National Endowment for Financial Education (NEFE) conducts polls on key issues, like retirement savings, that affect a person’s financial past, present, and future.

Here’s what we have learned over the past year:

• In a financial well-being poll conducted during the COVID-19 pandemic, 85% of respondents confirmed that some aspect of their personal finances was causing them stress. For 31% of respondents, that concern was “having enough saved for retirement.”

• In that same poll, 70% said they made financial adjustments due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Of that group, 27% increased contributions to their emergency savings, retirement savings, or other savings or investments. In comparison, 21% tapped into emergency savings—or borrowed against retirement savings.

• In a poll about financial education mandates, 80% of adults said they wish they were required to complete a semester- or year-long course focused on personal finance education during high school. Also, 88% think their state should require a semester- or year-long course for high school graduation.

• In that same poll, 84% of those approaching retirement age said “spending and budgeting” should be taught in schools.

Lifetime financial education can be a helpful tool in preparing for retirement. This includes understanding Social Security retirement benefits and making the most of retirement income. You can learn more on our Retirement page at http://www.ssa.gov/retirement.

A personal my Social Security account should be a part of your financial plan. With a secure my Social Security account, you can verify your earnings history, get personalized retirement benefit estimates, and more. If you don’t have an account, you can easily create one at http://www.ssa.gov/myaccount.

To learn more about NEFE’s mission, visit their website at http://www.nefe.org. Please share this information with friends and family.

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SOCIAL SECURITY’S TOP 5 DATA PRIVACY RESOURCES

It is important that you stay safe online. When we collect your personal information, we are committed to protecting your privacy. Please review these data privacy resources:

1. A great online resource is http://www.ssa.gov/myaccount. You can visit this page to open a secure my Social Security account, keep track of your earnings record, and identify any suspicious activity.

2. Our Privacy Program page at http://www.ssa.gov/privacy is a central resource to learn about our Privacy Compliance Program, submit a Privacy Act request, and review our privacy policies and reports.

3. In our blog post, 10 Ways to Protect Your Personal Information, we cover steps you and your loved ones can take to protect personal data. You can check out this blog at blog.ssa.gov/10-ways-to-protect-your-personal-information.

4. Our fact sheet, How You Can Help Us Protect Your Social Security Number and Keep Your Information Safe, provides details to safeguard your private information. You can access this fact sheet at http://www.ssa.gov/pubs/EN-05-10220.pdf.

5. Our Guard Your Card infographic at http://www.ssa.gov/ssnumber/assets/EN-05-10553.pdf helps you and your loved ones understand when you need to show your physical Social Security card – and when you do not.

We encourage you to help protect your vital information. Please share these resources with your loved ones.