Crafting the perfect retirement plan isn’t easy.
Luckily, the Social Security Administration is making things a little more simple with some new Social Security tools.
That’s a great sign as millions of Americans will rely on these retirement benefits in the future.
The SSA has rolled out a new website that makes it much easier to find important information regarding Social Security.
Click here to check out the new site.
“We are working hard to continue improving our website to provide people with clear, helpful information and easy access to our online services,” Social Security Commissioner Andrew Saul said. “Our new retirement portal is more user-friendly and easier to navigate, whether someone is ready to learn about, apply for, or manage their retirement benefits.”
The new online portal provides a lot of Social Security tools that should help anyone planning for retirement. It’s also easier to find tools to manage existing benefits. On top of all that, it has been optimized for mobile devices.
If you’re wondering how Social Security works, I recommend browsing the “Retirement Benefits” section. It nails down the basics without getting too much into the weeds. If you want all the nitty-gritty details, you can find links to more in-depth information within.
Crafting your future retirement plan? Check out the SSA’s various calculators to estimate your benefits.
Planning around Social Security is important because the program is only meant to replace 40% of your income before retirement. This can be a huge shock to anyone who hoped to rely on the benefits more.
Saul and the SSA are making an effort to educate and be more accessible, which is huge considering how many Americans will take advantage of the program in the future.
And that’s not all the SSA is doing…
Social Security Working With AARP to ‘Slam the Scam’
The SSA Office of the Inspector General and AARP are teaming up to help educate older Americans on Social Security.
Con artists are targeting beneficiaries through multiple lines of communication, and AARP’s new Social Security tool aims to fight back.
The nonprofit that focuses on helping retirees has launched a new webinar that goes through the various ways scammers target Social Security beneficiaries.
Click here to find out more about the webinar.
When it comes to scammer tactics it’s important to remember a few things. Social Security or other government agencies will never do these things, per the SSA:
- Call you to request information or payment due to coronavirus or office closures.
- Threaten to arrest you because of an identity theft problem.
- Require you to put money into a protected account.
- Ask you for payment by gift card, wire transfer, internet currency, or by mailing cash.
- Tell you to make up a story to tell your family or bank employees about why you need gift cards or cash.
Older Americans are considered an easy target for scammers and con artists. Knowing some of their favorite tactics can give you a leg up in protecting your identity and finances.
There are plenty of Social Security tools that are useful for planning, managing and protecting your retirement.
•You can find all of the latest and most important news about Social Security here on Money & Markets.
