Social Security Column
By Erin Thompson, Social Security Public Affairs Specialist
in Toledo, OH
Guest Column
See Your Lifetime Earnings with My Social Security
Did you know you can see your work history online all the
way back to your first job? Your earnings history is a
record of your progress toward your Social Security
benefits. We keep track of your earnings so we can pay you
the benefits you’ve earned over your lifetime. This is why
reviewing your Social Security earnings record is so
important.
If an employer didn’t properly report just one year of your
earnings to us, your future benefit payments could be less
than they should be. Over the course of a lifetime, that
could cost you tens of thousands of dollars in retirement or
other benefits to which you are entitled. It’s important to
identify reporting problems as soon as possible. As time
passes, you may no longer have easy access to past tax
documents, and some employers may no longer exist or be able
to provide past payroll information.
While it’s your employer’s responsibility to provide
accurate earnings information to us, you should still review
and inform us of any errors or omissions
so you get credit for the contributions you’ve made through
payroll taxes.
You’re the only person who can look at your lifetime
earnings record and verify that it’s complete and correct.
The easiest way to verify your earnings record is to visit
www.ssa.gov/myaccount and set up or sign in to your
personal
my
Social Security
account. You should review each year of listed
earnings carefully and confirm them using your own records,
such as W-2s and tax returns. Keep in mind that earnings
from this year and last year may not be listed yet.
You can find detailed instructions on how to correct your
Social Security earnings record at
www.ssa.gov/pubs/EN-05-10081.pdf.
Let your friends and family know they can access important
information like this any time at
www.ssa.gov and do much of their business with us
online.
Three Ways to Use Social Security Online
There are many online sources for Social Security
information, but you need to make sure you’re getting the
right information. By using
www.ssa.gov, you know that what you’re reading and
watching is approved by our experts and specifically created
for you. Here are three of our resources where you can find
valuable information about your Social Security benefits.
Our blog
– Stay informed about our latest news, retirement planning
tips, and other helpful information. Our blog at
blog.ssa.gov features messages direct from our
Commissioner, as well as information from expert
contributors. From there, you can also connect with us on
Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram, and YouTube, where
you can watch our popular videos.
my Social Security – You’re in control with many
services available online through my Social
Security. Creating a secure account will help you
conduct Social Security business from home. With your
personal my Social Security account, you can:
o
Estimate your future benefits with our Retirement Calculator
to compare different dates or ages to begin receiving
benefits.
o
Check the status of your Social Security application.
o
Review your work history.
If you already receive benefits, you
can also:
o
Get a benefit verification
or proof of income letter.
o
Set up or change your
direct deposit.
o
Change your address.
o
Request a replacement
Medicare card.
o
Get a Social Security 1099
form (SSA-1099).
You may also be able to quickly request a replacement card
online with a my Social Security account, if you meet
certain qualifications listed at
www.ssa.gov/myaccount.
Frequently Asked Questions
– Do you have to pay taxes
on Social Security benefits? How do you apply for Social
Security retirement benefits? What is your full retirement
age? Discover the answers to your Social Security related
questions at our Frequently Asked Questions page at
www.ssa.gov/faq.
With so many services available online, we are here for you
when your schedule allows. Be sure to tell friends and
family about all the business they can do with us from the
comfort of their home at
www.ssa.gov.
When Shout You Start Receiving Social Security Benefits?
We’re often asked, “What’s the best age to start receiving
retirement benefits?” The answer is: there’s not a single
“best age” for everyone. The most important thing is to
make an informed decision. Base your decision about when to
apply for benefits on your individual and family
circumstances.
Would it be better for you to start getting benefits early
with a smaller monthly amount for more years, or wait for a
larger monthly payment over a shorter timeframe? The answer
is personal and depends on several factors, such as your
current cash needs, your current health, and your family
longevity. You should also consider plans to work in
retirement and other sources of retirement income. Most
importantly, study your future financial needs and
obligations, and calculate your future Social Security
benefit.
We encourage you to weigh all the facts carefully before
making the crucial decision about when to begin receiving
Social Security benefits. This decision affects the monthly
benefit you will receive for the rest of your life, and may
affect benefit protection for your survivors.
SSA’s New Retirement Portal- Our new
retirement portal is more user-friendly and easier to
navigate, whether you’re ready to learn about, apply for, or
manage your retirement benefits. The redesigned portal will
make it easier for you to find and read about retirement
benefits, with fewer pages and clearer information. We
condensed and rewrote most of the pages to make them easier
to understand. The portal is compatible for use on mobile
devices so you can learn and do what you want from wherever
you want.
Our retirement webpage
has information including:
o
Retirement Publications;
o
Benefit Calculators;
o
Retirement benefits
estimates;
o
Full retirement age
information; and
o
Spouse benefits.
You and your loved ones can access all of these resources at
www.ssa.gov/benefits/retirement.
With more people learning online, we would like to highlight
some of the digital resources we have for educators.
Chances are a student will know someone who receives
retirement or disability benefits. This could be a way to
relate our many programs to a new audience. Showing young
people that our programs help wounded warriors and children
with disabilities can help them develop greater empathy and
provide a path to inspired learning.
We offer an educator’s toolkit teachers can use to engage
students and educate them on our programs.
The toolkit includes:
o
Lesson plans with
objectives;
o
Infographics and handouts
for each lesson plan;
o
Links to Social Security
web pages;
o
Talking points; and
o
Quiz questions and
answers.
You can access the toolkit
at
www.ssa.gov/thirdparty/educators.html. Parents are a
child’s first educators. You can use our toolkit to
introduce your child or grandchild to the importance of
having a social safety net for hardworking Americans.
We value and welcome the
efforts all teachers make to educate America’s young people,
and we want to help spark discussions with students about
the benefits Social Security provides to millions of
people. Please share our toolkit with your favorite
educators today.
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