‘Tis the season for holiday celebrations. When gathering ‘round Christmas trees or the candles of Hanukkah or Kwanzaa, may you be surrounded by the love of family and friends. As you dine on traditional favorites, we hope you enjoy good food and conversation.

If the topic of Social Security comes up during a holiday get-together, we’ve put together 5 basic messages you can share with your loved ones.

1. Create or sign in to your personal my Social Security account – If you’re getting Social Security, you can manage your benefits with your online account – without the need to contact us. If you’re not receiving benefits, it’s never too soon to create an account. There, you can review your earnings record. We pay benefits based on the earnings that are posted, so tell us if a correction is needed. You’ll also want to check out your Social Security Statement for estimates of future benefits.
2. Social Security is more than a retirement program – We also pay benefits to people who can’t work because of a disability and survivors benefits to some family members when a worker dies.
3. Learn how Social Security figures benefits – We calculate retirement benefits based on your highest 35 years of earnings – not 10 years, not the last 5, but 35.
4. Determine when you can start retirement benefits and how the age you choose effects your monthly amount – The full retirement age is rising to 67 for people born in 1960 or later. While you can receive Social Security retirement as early as age 62, your monthly amount may be permanently reduced if you start benefits before your full retirement age. If you delay your benefits past full retirement age, you can boost your benefit amount by about 8% for each year you delay up until age 70.
5. Save and invest for a secure financial future – The average retirement benefit in 2025 is $1,976 a month – less than $24,000 a year. Average disability and survivors benefits are less. You need other income besides Social Security to live comfortably in retirement.

When the topic of Social Security comes up during the holidays, please share some of our key messages with your family and friends. Want to learn more? Visit our online Frequently Asked Questions.

We wish you all the best this holiday season and in 2025!

Tags: General Information, social security, Social Security benefits