#4: How to Find Out What Your Benefits Will Be

Each year, the Social Security Administration sends out benefit estimate statements to workers age 25 or older. You should get it about three months before your birthday. The statement tells you what benefits you can expect to receive at retirement. It also contains your earnings record, 36 your name, and your date of birth. If any of this information is wrong, you might not get the full benefits you have earned. Check your statement each time you receive it for inaccuracies. If you don’t want to wait for your yearly statement, you can order a free statement anytime. Go to the Social Security Administration’s Web site, www.ssa.gov, or call (800) 772-1213. In addition to providing an estimate of your full retirement benefits, the Social Security statement will also provide an estimate of the monthly benefit you would be eligible for at early retirement—age 62—and if you wait until age 70. The statement also estimates the monthly benefit you could be eligible for if you qualify for disability benefits. If you are married, take a look at your husband’s statement, too. It has important information about what survivor benefits you and your children could be eligible for.