Retirement

Planning Will Help You See Green in Retirement

March 17, 2017 • By

Reading Time: 2 Minutes

Last Updated: November 3, 2023

man on laptop Social Security has been a cornerstone of financial security for over 80 years. As you might already know, a lifetime of measured discipline can ensure a comfortable retirement. Social Security can help you plan, save, and see plenty of green in your golden years.

Social Security is part of the retirement plan of almost every American worker. If you’re among the 96 percent of workers in the United States covered under Social Security, it is helpful to know what benefits you are entitled to. Social Security bases your benefit payment on how much you earned during your working career. Higher lifetime earnings result in higher benefits. If there were some years you didn’t work or had low earnings, your benefit amount may be lower than if you worked steadily. How do you know what your retirement benefits might be so you can plan?  Create a safe and secure my Social Security  account to view estimates of your future retirement, disability, and survivors benefits. Visit www.socialsecurity.gov/myaccount and create your account today.

Social Security benefits help secure your today and tomorrow, but many people will need more retirement income. Saving for retirement is key. You might also have a pension or 401k. Combining as many savings resources will mean more income once you retire.

Your personal my Social Security  account continues to benefit you once you file for benefits and beyond.  Use your account to check the status of your application and, once you are receiving benefits, use your account to manage them.  For example, you can start or change your direct deposit, change your address and phone number, get proof of benefits, and much more—online and at your convenience.  Learn about all the great advantages of having your own my Social Security  account at www.socialsecurity.gov/myaccount.

Social Security puts you in control. Visit www.socialsecurity.gov regularly to access the ever-evolving tools and information we provide.

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About the Author

Jim Borland, Acting Deputy Commissioner for Communications

Jim Borland, Acting Deputy Commissioner for Communications

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Comments

  1. elena p.

    how do i get a award letter ?

  2. shah a.

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  3. Cindy D.

    I am disabled an have been on SSD, an no I didn’t lie about anything, that’s just stealing!! My disability judge stated I had the most documented file he’d ever seen…4″thick. What happens to my SSD when I turn 65? I’m at 1167$ per month right now, I worked hard for almost 30 years an paid into my FICA. What am I to expect how my benefit will drop down too at 65?

    • Jeff

      Nothing will happen with your payment, it will stay the same.

      Your benefits will convert from disability benefits to retirement benefits.

      You disability amount that you receive each month is THE SAME as your retirement amount that you would have been awarded, had you taken your retirement at your Full Retirement Age or FRA.

      So your benefits just convert from disability benefits to retirement benefits but the amount you receive doesn’t go up or down.

      It is NOT at 65! Your benefits will convert at your Full Retirement Age, which is AT LEAST 66!

      Here is from their website “If you are receiving Social Security Disability Insurance benefits (SSDI), nothing will change when you reach full retirement age except for Social Security purposes your benefits will be called retirement benefits instead of disability benefits.

      The SSDI benefit that is paid is the maximum amount payable to the worker under his or her earnings record. It is higher than the benefit payment that would be paid for reduced retirement benefits. Therefore, if you are receiving SSDI, your benefit amount will not change when you reach full retirement age.

      Starting with the month you reach full retirement age, you will get your benefits with no limit on your earnings.

      Information about full retirement age may be found on our Web site at the following Internet address:

      http://www.socialsecurity.gov/retire2/retirechart.htm“

  4. William

    I have been collecting my social security for 2 years now, since I attained full retirement age. I have been also working full time these past two years. Shouldn’t my social security payments be readjusted because of the extra income and social security taxes I have paid?

    • Ann C.

      Hi, William. Great question! As long as you continue to work, even if you are receiving benefits, you will continue to pay Social Security taxes on your earnings. However, we will check your record every year to see whether the additional earnings you had will increase your monthly benefit. If there is an increase, we will send you a letter telling you of your new benefit amount. Check our frequently asked questions on this topic and learn more about how work affects your benefits from our publication, How Work Affects Benefits. Thanks.

  5. L G.

    I am deeply sad to read about the efforts of persons to find ways to obtain social security and VA funds/benefits under what “appears” to be false or devious methods. This type of behavior is or should be shameful. As for the VA and “proving 51%, what about those veterans that have been denied resources multiple times and perhaps never receiving the necessary help and dying in poverty of serious illnesses/diseases because of the paperwork necessary in the “convoluted” unfriendly system to try to prove the 51%. Yet they served their country selflessly.

    • tony

      Most veterans with just a high school diploma will make less than $15/hour or $30K/year.

      100% VA disability pays $2900/month. The average SSDI payment is $1100/month. They could make $48k/year on disability.

      It is better being on disability than working.

  6. bettyg

    to all those writing the articles above, PLEASE have shorter paragraphs for us neuro cognitive members!!

    Our illnesses not diagnosed/treated promptly have caused this & we would like to be able to read the entire thing without taking EXTRA personal time to copy/paste & break up.

    thanks for your consideration of OUR needs too 😉

    IOWAN

  7. tony

    I am already seeing green with Social Security disability. The SSA has made it so easy to get approved without a treating source or treatment history.

    I am off to see if I can get some more green from the Veteran Administration. I am going to blame my messed up service history on PTSD. You can blame everything including fights, domestic violence, arrests, alcohol abuse, AWOL, Article 15, etc on PTSD.

    All they have to say is they witness someone being killed during combat or their base was under attack and receive 100% VA disability. Then they apply for Social Security Disability Insurance and get that additional green.

    • John

      Really? Good luck with that.

      • tony

        The VA has the reasonable doubt most favorable to the Veteran rule. If you are 51% credible and the rest is a bunch of lies, then you are approved. You just have to convince the VA on 51% of your lies.

      • tony

        The SSA gives Social Security disability for fake military PTSD. This person is probably still being paid by the SSA even though his whole story is a lie.
        https://www.va.gov/vetapp15/Files4/1537165.txt

    • tony

      For those Veteran with Other Than Honorable, Bad Conduct, and Dishonorable Discharge, you have to claim insanity with some type of antisocial behavior to upgrade your discharge and be allowed VA benefits.

  8. Emmanuel A.

    I want to know If I can still be able to get my maximum benefit at my retirement age of about 67,If I decided to file at 62 and suspend within 12 months of 62. In the event that my circumstances changed.

    • John

      If you file @ 62 and never draw out a payment until 67 then you’d be paid as if you filed at age 67.

  9. TALAKKOTTUR R.

    I am an American citizen living abroad for fear of my life under the Obama Administration for attacking corrupt and crooked judges. You can view my site in Google, Face book and youtube under DAVID VS AT&T PART 7 which will explain what happened to me during the past 35 years and I am still fighting through our crooked court system.

    My complaint is why the SSA cannot make the system available to all US Workers both retired and otherwise so that they could avail the benefits and figure out themselves about their benefits. I have been repeatedly told that those who are living abroad, we cannot access the site. Why? If we can send men to the moon and mars, why cannot we make the system available to all American citizens like myself to avail the benefits of the SSA on line.

    Please look into the matter please.

    • Marc

      @TALAKKOTTUR R David: So you want money and to “avail the benefits” from the American government that you despise so much that you have set up channels on social media by which to publicly disparage them. You have been fighting this same government, which you feel somehow owes you more, through its own court system which you have also publicly slandered, and most likely do so regularly. You live in a foreign country and, since you are eligible for Social Security benefits – or at least you feel you should be, that wasn’t quite clear from your post – that makes it highly likely that you do not pay taxes to the US Government that you feel should be providing you with benefits and the means by which you could “figure out” how to “avail yourself” of ALL the benefits this government that you so despise has to offer. Frankly, sir, you have some hell of a nerve. And that’s not even touching on the actual reasons for why you’re unable to “avail yourself” of all the same “benefits” of an American citizen who is actually residing within the borders and legal jurisdiction of the United States of America. Clearly you know absolutely nothing about technology, nor more importantly, law, protocols, international relations, treaties, agreements, etc., all of which have a bearing on how and when and where and even IF the US Government can operate in foreign countries at all. Why don’t you “avail yourself” of some real, factual, credible information instead of just blaming the government and making false claims of conspiracy and corruption? You’ve got access to a computer friend, why not use it to learn something that might be useful to you rather than creating smear videos and blogs and tweets of your persecution fantasies?
      Sheesh. Just when I thought Americans couldn’t get stupider. It simply boggles the mind.

    • John

      Social Security retirement and disability were never meant to be a bank for you to draw upon when the mood strikes you. When the SS Act was passed and the changes since, you also saw unemployment and employment benefits added. Some people would only be happy if the Government paid for everything from cradle to grave.

      • AB

        He’s looking for online access. That’s all.

  10. Gurudeva B.

    Social Security is a great product well designed for the American Citizens and would be Citizens. I have worked in USA for 8 plus years, contributed a significant amount to the Social Security. After working in USA for 10 yrs on H1B visa, I came to India for just a week in 2007 to visit India at the invitation of some people. My personal work got completed in 2010. I got married in India in 2010, daughter born in 2011. Even though my greencard was approved for I140 in 2008 I still did not have a greencard as I came for an unplanned visit to India in 2007. I could not get back to USA due to lack of Greencard or H1B sponsership. In 2017 I am still here in India. It will be great if I get some funds from the US government (from my social security account etc) as well as visa assistance to bring my daughter, wife to USA along with me for me to continue to work there.The amount loaned to me can be deducted from my salary afterwards. Hope that the government will look into this.

    • Bill B.

      You have to be retired or disabled to get any funds from social security, so save some money or you won’t be able to come to the USA.

    • John

      Contact the State Department or go to the US Embassy near you.

    • John P.

      You need ten years ( 40 quarters) of US work to minimally qualify for Social Security. Check with the US Embassy, as some countries, mostly in Europe, have reciprocity or share earnings treaties with the US for social insurance programs.

Comments are closed.