Social Security Column
Social Security Online Puts You in Control
By Erin Thompson, Social
Security Public Affairs Specialist in Toledo, OH
Guest Column
Taking control of your future is the first step in planning
a long and happy retirement. Social Security is making it
faster and easier to do this with my Social Security.
With your own personal my Social Security account,
you’ll get immediate access to your personal Social
Security Statement that has your earnings record and an
estimate of your retirement benefits at age 62, at your full
retirement age, and at age 70. While you are online, you
should verify that your earnings are correct, since we base
your future benefits on your earnings record. You can do all
of this and more at
www.ssa.gov/myaccount.
When you open
a my Social Security account, we protect your
information by using strict identity verification and
security features. The application process has built-in
features to detect fraud and confirm your identity. Your
personal my Social Security account can help you
figure out how much more you might want to save for your
future, but it can do a whole lot more. For example, in the
District of Columbia and more than 20 states, you can
request a replacement Social Security card online — find out
if you can at
www.socialsecurity.gov/ssnumber.
Remember, we have many other valuable resources on our
website.
If you’re thinking about retiring at an age not shown on
your Statement, take control 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.
Being in control means steering your future in the direction
you want. Social Security’s online resources are here to
help, day or night. Check out your own personal “control
panel” at
www.socialsecurity.gov/onlineservices.
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