Your Social Security benefits are the foundation upon which you can build a secure retirement. Social Security is funded by payroll taxes; that is, a percentage of your paycheck goes directly into the Social Security fund to help provide benefits to current Social Security benefit recipients. SMU also pays a portion of the Social Security tax.
How Much Will I Get From Social Security?
As you make plans for your retirement, there are several ways you can find out how much you can expect to receive when you apply for Social Security benefits. Social Security sends a yearly Social Security Statement to everyone age 25 or older who has paid Social Security taxes and has not yet received benefits. You should receive a Statement about three months before your birthday each year.
You can also use the Retirement Estimator at www.socialsecurity.gov/planners to find out how much you might receive.
Many people wonder how their benefit is determined. Social Security benefits are based on your lifetime earnings. Your actual earnings are adjusted or "indexed" to account for changes in average wages since the year the earnings were received. Then Social Security calculates your average indexed monthly earnings during the 35 years in which you earned the most. A formula is applied to these earnings to arrive at your basic benefit, or "primary insurance amount" (PIA). This is how much you would receive at your full retirement age - 65 or older, depending on your date of birth.
Click on http://www.ssa.gov/onlineservices for important information on how to register for on-line access to important Social Security information and services.