SOCIAL SECURITY: WILL IT BE ENOUGH FOR RETIREMENT?
Social Security retirement benefits are based on three major
factors: you current age, your age when you begin receiving
benefits, and your past earnings.
You are free to stop working and start receiving Social Security
benefits anytime between the ages of 62 and 70. But you age
impacts on how much you will end up getting. In the past, you
would expect to get your full benefits once you hit that magical
age of 65. But that's not quite how Social Security works now.
There are many sources of information on the Internet to guide
you towards making an informed prediction of whether Social
Security will be enough to cover your expenses when you retire.
Your first stop on the Internet is the Social Security
Administration website. Access this website directly at
www.ssa.gov. Be prepared to learn the worst.
For the vast majority of Americans, Social Security benefits
will not provide enough of an income and to cover expenses and
make retirement comfortable.
Most people think that once they retire their expenses will be
reduced. But just think ahead a little. Maybe you've always had
a dream about your life in retirement. That dream may have
included taking up a hobby or it may have included some travel.
Depending on your retirement plans you may need a higher income
than what Social Security is planning to provide you.
You can find out what your Social Security benefits will be by
making the relevant calculations. Finding out how much you will
be earning when you retire seems very complicated, but there are
tools on the Internet that you can use right now to get you all
the information you need to plan for a comfortable retirement.
There are tools available online to help you calculate your
retirement income. The Social Security Administration website
provides online calculators to help you estimate your potential
benefit amounts and different levels of potential future
earnings.
And remember. It's never too late to start planning for
retirement. Most people seriously begin thinking about their
retirement when it is just around the corner. But even so, it is
never too late. Start now. Be prepared.