Social Security statement helps Americans save

More than 100 national groups and hundreds of local organizations recently participated in America Saves Week. Social Security was proud to be one of them.

For years, Social Security has been encouraging Americans to plan and save for retirement through the Social Security Statement. Social Security began mailing Statements to people who requested them in August 1988. About ten years ago, in October 1999, Social Security began mailing annual, individualized Statements to all workers 25 and older who were not receiving Social Security benefits based on their own earnings. In 2008, more than 148 million people received a Social Security Statement by mail.

You probably receive one yourself, every year about two to three months before your birthday. But do you take the time to review it? You should. Here’s what it will give you:

• An estimate of your monthly retirement benefit at age 62, full retirement age, and age 70;

• An estimate of the monthly benefit you could be entitled to if you become disabled;

• An estimate of the monthly benefit your family could receive if you die.

That’s valuable information when it comes to planning your financial future. The Statement also gives you the opportunity to review your earnings to make sure they’ve been reported correctly to the IRS.

But you don’t have to rely on the Statement alone to make your future retirement plans. Social Security’s Retirement Estimator is an online tool that allows you to try out different retirement scenarios. Just plug in some quick information and you’ll get estimates of your future benefits based on your personal earnings record. Try it out at www.socialsecurity.gov/estimator.

To learn more about Your Social Security Statement, go to www.socialsecurity.gov/mystatement.

To join us in celebrating America Saves Week, visit the America Saves website at www.americasaves.org.

Donna Maitland is the district manager for the Social Security Administration in Gainesville.