Social Security is with you through life’s journey — from when you’re born, through your working years, and into retirement. We provide information and tools that help you make better decisions about your retirement future. Women face unique challenges when choosing when to retire and in making other decisions related to their future Social Security benefits.

On average, a woman who is 65 years old today can expect to live to about 87. By contrast, an average 65-year-old man will live to about 84. Women tend to earn less over the course of their lifetime than men and enter their retirement years with smaller pensions and other assets. This can translate into a smaller benefit amount.

Marriage, divorce, and widowhood affect the benefit amount you receive, as you may qualify for a higher benefit on your current, former, or deceased spouse’s record. It all comes together with information and planning.

With longer life expectancy than men, women must plan accordingly for retirement, as all these factors could affect you when you decide to begin receiving Social Security retirement benefits. As you plan for the future, Social Security is with you every step of the way.

It’s never too early to begin developing a sound financial plan. A great way to get started is by creating your personal my Social Security  account. It’s free, fast, and secure and gives you convenient access to your personal Social Security information. With a my Social Security  account, you can review your Social Security Statement to get estimates of your future retirement, disability, and survivors benefits. You can also verify your earnings are posted correctly. Social Security benefits are based on your lifetime earnings, if you worked.

With retirement, disability, survivors, and other benefits, Social Security is here to help you secure today and tomorrow. To learn more about why Social Security is important to women, please visit https://www.ssa.gov/people/women/.

Tags: my Social Security account, Social Security benefits