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Spring
into a Stress-Free Retirement
By Phil Walton, Social Security Manager in Toledo, Oh
Guest Column
April has arrived, and spring is here! As we say “goodbye”
to winter weather hardships and “hello” to gardens budding
with vibrant color, we welcome the season by celebrating
Stress Awareness Month. Did you know that stress, also
called the “silent killer,” could cause heart disease and
high blood pressure? Recognizing the sources of stress is
the best way to understand how you can start eliminating
factors in your life that put unnecessary strain on your
body and mind.
Social Security wants to make your retirement planning as
stress-free as possible, which is why we have a number of
online tools available for you. You can create your own
secure, personal
my Social Security
account from the comfort of your living room and avoid
unpleasant traffic and a possible long wait in one of our
field offices. Once you have a my Social Security
account, you can view your Social Security Statement,
verify your earnings record, and find out what to expect in
monthly benefits if you retire at ages 62, 67 or 70. Once
you begin receiving Social Security benefits, you can use
my Social Security to check your benefit information,
change your address and phone number, change your electronic
payment method, and obtain an instant benefit verification
letter and replacement SSA-1099/1042S. You can easily sign
up for my Social Security at
www.socialsecurity.gov/myaccount.
If you’re thinking about retiring at an age not shown on
your Statement, reduce the stress of the unknown by
using our Retirement Estimator. The Retirement
Estimator allows you to calculate your potential
future Social Security benefits by changing variables such
as retirement dates and future earnings. You may discover
that you’d rather wait another year or two before you retire
to earn a higher benefit. Or, you might see that this is the
season for you to kiss that work stress goodbye and retire
right now. To get instant, personalized estimates of your
future benefits, go to
www.socialsecurity.gov/estimator.
When you decide it’s time to start receiving your retirement
benefits, the application process is far less stressful now
that you’re prepared. You can securely apply online without
picking up the phone or leaving your house. Simply go to
www.socialsecurity.gov/applyonline,
and, in as little as 15 minutes, you can breeze through our
online retirement application.
Our
website and online tools are always available. You can enjoy
Social Security’s stress-free retirement planning tools any
time of the year, giving you more time to enjoy these warmer
months. Doesn’t that put a spring in your step?
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