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YOUR SOCIAL SECURITY | Davenport, Iowa Office

By Linda Clayton-Powell
Social Security District Manager
Davenport, Iowa

A CALCULATED RETIREMENT

Calculating when you should retire requires evaluating all sources of your retirement income. There are many factors to consider, including your personal retirement goals. With multiple factors affecting your decision, sometimes it is difficult to see the big retirement picture. Social Security secures your today and tomorrow by offering a webpage of calculators to help you plan your Social Security retirement benefits. You can access our online calculators at www.socialsecurity.gov/planners/benefitcalculators.html to get started planning.

Visit our calculator page and fine-tune your benefit estimate by using the Retirement Estimator if you have the required 40 work credits. Changes in your personal circumstances may cause changes in the number of years you work before you retire. Suppose you had planned to work an additional ten years before retiring, but now you are considering moving that up to the end of this year. How can you determine how much the difference in dollars in the monthly benefits will be? You can create one estimate with your projected earnings through this year and another including the next ten years. These are estimates, but they will give you an approximation for each retirement age to help you make your decision.

You can also use our Online Calculator if you do not have 40 work credits. You need to enter all of your earnings manually, but you can project future earnings through your potential retirement date. Again, this is an estimate based on your future estimated earnings, but it provides you with
planning numbers.

These three calculators will meet almost everyone’s pre-retirement planning needs. However, wait, there is more. Use the Life Expectancy Calculator for a rough estimate of how long you might live. The Retirement Age Calculator determines your full retirement age and shows the differences when benefits are taken early. The Early or Late Retirement Calculator can show the differences in benefit amount if you file early or wait until later to start benefits. You can use the Benefits for Spouse Calculator to find out how your spouse’s benefit changes if taken early. You can access all of these at www.socialsecurity.gov/planners/benefitcalculators.html.

Another great planning tool is the Social Security Statement.  Get yours today with a my Social Security account at www.socialsecurity.gov/myaccount.

With our calculators doing all the number crunching, we make the big picture easier to see. The road to retirement is in the viewfinder and you have your resources ready. Now that you know which calculator to use, you can start figuring your best retirement option for a calculated retirement.

ACCESS MY SOCIAL SECURITY ON THE GO!

Smartphones have been in our lives for over a decade and have changed the way we interact with each other. Social Security is at the forefront of technological advancements, making your online business with us easier and more secure.

About a third of the visitors to SocialSecurity.gov use their smart phones to learn about our programs, find answers to their questions, and access our online services. Now you can access your personal my Social Security account on the
go or from the comfort of your home. By visiting www.socialsecurity.gov/myaccount, you can:

• Request a replacement Social Security card, if you meet certain requirements;
• Check the status of your application or appeal.
• Get your Social Security Statement to review estimates of your future retirement, disability, and survivors benefits;
• Check your earnings every year to verify the amounts that we recorded are correct; and 
• See the estimated Social Security and Medicare taxes you have paid.

There are even more things you can do with my Social Security if you are receiving benefits.  You can get a letter that verifies your benefit amount, check your benefit and payment information and your earnings record, and change your address and phone number.  You also can request a
replacement Medicare card, confirm changes to your direct deposit information, and even get a replacement SSA-1099 for tax season.

We are continuing to improve my Social Security all the time and make more services available online. Residents of the District Columbia and more than 20 states can now request a replacement Social Security card online using my Social Security. It is an easy, convenient, and secure way to request a replacement card online.

To request a replacement card online, you must:

• Have or create a my Social Security account;
• Have a valid driver’s license in a participating state or the District of Columbia (or a state-issued identification card in some states);
• Be age 18 or older and a United States citizen with a domestic U.S. mailing address (this includes APO, FPO, and DPO addresses); and
• Not be requesting a name change or any other changes to your card.

Securing today and tomorrow can start now. Putting you in control of your future is a priority for us. Visit www.socialsecurity.gov/myaccount today to learn more and to sign up for your own account.