Help Protect Your Social Security Account

As National Social Security Month ends, if you haven’t enrolled in the Social Security Administration’s (SSA) new MySocialSecurity website, you might want to do so to keep track of your benefits and help protect your social security account. The SSA chose April, tax return deadline month, to be National Social Security Month to create awareness and to encourage us to know more about the benefits we’ve earned.

The SSA has designed the MySocialSecurity website to help you manage your benefits, and to help minimize your chances of identity theft. Previously the SSA has been sending out yearly Social Security Statements. With the creation of the MSS website, the paper statements will now be sent every 5 years instead of every year. 

The MySocialSecurity website will let you view your up-to-date Social Security statement, with estimated benefits based on your earnings history and assumptions on future earnings. You can view estimated monthly benefits from retiring at age 62, to up to the highest monthly benefit you would receive from retiring at age 70. 

You can also access your earnings history, dating back to the beginning of your career. If you see any inaccuracies, there are instructions on how to contact the SSA to correct the information on your account. Your Social Security payments are based on the 35 highest earning years of your career, indexed for inflation — another reason you’ll want to make sure your information is correct.

If you’ve lost your Social Security card, there is information on how to go about replacing it. The MySocialSecurity website has information on your account is protected, and also how to protect yourself against phishing emails. 

Enrolling in the MySocialSecurity website is a great way to keep track of your benefits, and to help you and your loved ones make the most of the Social Security benefit program.

Helpful Links:

MySocialSecurity website:

https://www.ssa.gov/myaccount/

Account verification and identity protection:

https://www.ssa.gov/myaccount/verifyandprotectid.html

How to protect yourself against phishing emails:

https://www.ssa.gov/myaccount/internetphishingalert.html



If You Do Only 1 Thing This Social Security Month, Do This

By Dan Caplinger, April 27, 2018, for The Motley Fool


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