YOUR WINNING RETIREMENT GAME PLAN
By Tom Winschel
Social Security District Manager in Pittsburgh, PA
This month, a driver will take the checkered flag at the Daytona 500, skiers will stand atop the podium at the World Alpine Ski Championships in Vail, Colo., and a football team will win Super Bowl XLIX in Glendale, Ariz. The sports are different, but the winners share a common trait—years of commitment to their plans.
To win the retirement game, you also need commitment and a plan. For years, you’ve worked hard and paid into Social Security. Whether you’re new to the workforce or getting ready to cross your own career finish line, you’ll want to open a my Social Security account to see how your hard work is paying off. You can create or access your account at www.socialsecurity.gov/myaccount. You can use it to verify your earnings history, get estimates of your future Social Security benefits, and more. It’s the place to get the information you need to put together your own winning game plan.
A good NASCAR pit crew keeps its driver on the track, and our Retirement Estimator can do the same for your retirement plan. The Estimator offers an instant and tailored estimate of your future Social Security benefits based on your earnings record. You can plug in different anticipated yearly earnings to discover different retirement options and learn how your benefits could increase if you work longer. Give the Retirement Estimator a test drive today at www.socialsecurity.gov/estimator.
Once you’ve come of age to retire—or if you’re just in the planning phase—our quick and convenient online services are in place at www.socialsecurity.gov/applyonline. In as little as 15 minutes, you can speed through our online application. In most cases, once your application is submitted electronically, you’re done. There are no forms to sign and usually no documentation is required.
Fine-tune your game plan. Take advantage of our services and resources at www.socialsecurity.gov to optimize your retirement.
