Three Retirement Planning Tips For Women
Reading Time: 2 MinutesLast Updated: August 19, 2021
One day in 1939, Ida May Fuller stopped by the local Social Security office in her hometown of Rutland, Vermont, and said, “I knew I’d been paying into Social Security and I wanted to learn more.” The following year, she received the very first Social Security benefit payment—$22.54—and it arrived as check number 00-000-001. Ida’s story still holds lessons for women today—and it started with her getting the information she needed. As we celebrate Women’s History Month, let us consider the following retirement planning tips you should know.
Today, signing up for a personal my Social Security account can help you get tailored information to plan for your retirement. It’s never too late to start planning. Ida was 65 years old when she started receiving benefit payments, but she lived well beyond her life expectancy of 65 years, 4 months. In fact, Ida lived to be 100 years old, and received Social Security benefit payments for 35 years. It’s important to create your personal my Social Security account as soon as possible. With your account, you can view estimates of future benefits, verify your earnings, and view the estimated Social Security and Medicare taxes you’ve paid. Verifying earnings is important because your future benefit is based on your earnings history.
Your Social Security benefit payments will provide only a portion of pre-retirement income. That means you’ll have to save more to have adequate income for your desired lifestyle in retirement.
Savings need to be an active part of your plan to take care of yourself and your family’s financial future. Ida never married. She supported herself. However, you may find yourself widowed or divorced—and having to provide for yourself for 15 years or longer. Unlike in Ida’s day, you can go online to see if you’re eligible to receive a current, deceased, or former spouse’s benefits. It might make financial sense to claim those benefits instead of your own—since the payments could be higher based on the individual’s own earnings history.
In the spirit of Ida, we encourage you to plan for your financial future. Please share this information with your friends and family—and help us spread the word on social media.
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Tags: retirement, retirement benefits
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Denise
I am receiving a widow’s annuity from the RR.
Can I get my SS, If so, at what age?
A.C.
Hi, Denise. Generally, you are eligible to apply for survivor benefits when you reach age 60 (age 50 or over if disabled). Unfortunately, your question is a bit more complex than we can handle in this forum. Please contact your local Social Security office for specific questions about your benefits. Thanks!
Richard S.
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Theresa H.
Do you have to report $6K of lottery winnings if you are currently receiving SSD or SSDI?
V.V.
Thank you for your question, Theresa. If you’re receiving Supplemental Security Income (SSI) benefits, income from lottery winnings can affect your benefits and must be reported. This is because the amount of an SSI benefit is based, in part, on the income and resources available to the individual receiving SSI benefits and the income and resources of his or her spouse. Check out our Understanding SSI web page for additional details regarding income.
If you’re receiving Social Security Disability (SSDI) benefits, lottery income would not affect your benefits and does not need to be reported to us. We hope you find this information helpful.
Theresa H.
Is SSD and SSDI the same thing?
V.V.
Hi Theresa, thanks for using our blog. We pay disability benefits through two programs: the Supplemental Security Income (SSI) program and the Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) program. SSI is a needs-based program that provides cash assistance to disabled adults and children who have limited income and resources. Also, SSI benefits are payable to people 65 and older without disabilities, who meet the financial limits.
When it comes to qualifying for disability benefits under the Social Security Disability Income, or SSDI program, individuals must have worked long enough–and recently enough–under Social Security to qualify for disability benefits. Generally, you need 40 credits, 20 of which you have to earn within the last 10 years before you become disabled.
Check out our Disability Benefits web page for more details.
J
Great article. Here’s more information about Turning 65 and Medicare: https://www.medicareinc.com/blog/what-you-need-to-know-about-medicare-and-working-past-age-65
Amy A.
When will they announce when we can expect our Biden stimulus check yet? Tracking status on irs.gov is as useless as teats on a boar hog for ppl on SS.
Connie L.
I am 55ys I receive SSI am I entitled to some pandemic relief other then stimulus check?
Robert T.
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John P.
I’m literally having to get a $1,400 loan from the bank because my stimulus is still delayed! I desperately need to pay my bills this meanwhile brood ares like the druggie down the street with 8 kids is buying a new Cadillac and sh*t! I have to pay that short term loan back as soon as my stimulus drops into my direct deposit bank account. Too bad SSA won’t send our payment info to the IRS.
News F.
Nonfilers tool never did us any good with neither 1st or 2 Nd stimulus. Always said payment info for SS recipients not available. Also the news is saying delay is from SSA not providing payment info to IRS in a timely fashion.
Denise S.
How much will the surviving spouse (who is OVER her FRA) receive if her deceased spouse filed for his SS retirement benefit at age 70? Will the surviving spouse receive only HIS FRA amount or will she receive the larger amount that he was receiving at his death?
V.V.
Hi Denise, thanks for using our blog to ask your question. Typically, a widow or widower at their full (survivors) retirement age or older generally receives 100% of the deceased worker’s amount, a widow or widower under full retirement age receives about 71 to 99 percent of the worker’s benefit amount, and a widow or widower with a child younger than age 16 receives 75 percent of the worker’s benefit amount.
We are only going to pay the highest benefit amount from either record, meaning you don’t get both retirement and widow(er)s benefits but the higher of the two. For more information about how much your benefit would be, visit our If You Are The Survivor web page.
Theresa H.
Is SSD and SSDI the same thing?
IsadoraHalcyon
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