How to Best Navigate Social Security

Whether retirement is around the corner or years away, it’s good to know that Social Security is working for you now by providing the information you need to plan ahead for your retirement.

One of the best tools for planning a secure retirement is at www.socialsecurity.gov. When you create your personal “my Social Security online account,” you’ll be able to get your online Social Security Statement, review your lifetime earnings history (and catch any errors while it’s easier to fix them), see future benefit estimates and more important information that can help you plan and save.

Opening a “my Social Security” online account is quick, safe, free and easy. It takes only minutes. Go to the Social Security website: www.socialsecurity.gov and then click on “my Social Security.” Follow the instructions for creating your secure, online account. You must be at least 18 years of age and have:

• A valid e-mail address
  
  
• A Social Security number
  
• 
  
• A U.S. mailing address.

You’ll also need to provide some personal information and answer some questions only you are likely to know. This process protects you and keeps your information private. There are extra security features, too. You can have unique text message codes sent to your cell phone each time you want to sign in. There’s even an address bar at the top of your screen indicating the website has an extended validation certificate. This means the information you provide to Social Security will be encrypted and that the website has been verified by a certification authority.

Once you see your estimated retirement benefits, you can really start to plan, invest, and save with more confidence. You can even explore when you might retire.

While Social Security will be here to provide you with a secure foundation in the future, it was never intended to be your sole source of retirement income. You may want to put aside more for a comfortable retirement. And once you do retire, or start receiving benefits for any reason, your “my Social Security account” is the best place to manage those benefits. You can use your account to get an instant benefit verification letter, change your address and phone number on Social Security’s records, and start or change direct deposit of your benefit payment.

More than 11 million people have opened a safe and secure “my Social Security account.” To learn more visit: www.socialsecurity.gov. (NAPSI)