Social Security Website

Social Security retirement benefits is a more complex and important subject than most people realize.

In retirement, Social Security typically accounts for one-quarter to one-half of retirement income. The size of those benefits is dependent on your 35-year work and earnings record as well as at what age you begin taking your benefit check,  whether you have a spouse (and their age and record), other dependents, your work plans, and other factors.

A good place to start looking for information is the Social Security Administration website, www.socialsecurity.gov. For those who like to get their information online, a useful page is, http://www.socialsecurity.gov/onlineservices/. This page tells you some of the many things you can use the Social Security website for.

The Social Security Administration also can be reached by telephone or in person at their local offices. Social Security also publishes pamphlets that give quick summaries of various features. “Update 2015” provides some of the current numbers.

Social Security serves tens of millions of people and needs many rules to get this done effectively. Learning as much as you can yourself and consulting a financial professional, accountant or lawyer if needed can help you get the best results for your individual situation.