Check These Important Documents To Maximize Your Social Security
Written by
Karen Doyle
Edited by
Zuri Anderson
Commitment to Our Readers
GOBankingRates' editorial team is committed to bringing you unbiased reviews and information. We use data-driven methodologies to evaluate financial products and services - our reviews and ratings are not influenced by advertisers. You can read more about our editorial guidelines and our products and services review methodology.
20 Years
Helping You Live Richer
Reviewed
by Experts
Trusted by
Millions of Readers
The amount of money you get in your Social Security check every month for the rest of your life depends on the accuracy of the records.
Here’s what you need to do to make sure you are getting the maximum benefit to which you are entitled.
Create Your Online Account
The first thing to do is to create a “my Social Security” account online at ssa.gov. To do this, you’ll need to create a login.gov account or an ID.me account to verify your identity. This requires your contact information and a government issued ID, like a driver’s license.
Once you have set up one of these, you can use it to set up your “my Social Security” account. This gives you access to important information about your Social Security benefits and the amount you could receive when it comes time to collect those benefits.
Get Your Social Security Statement
You can get your Social Security statement any time by logging in to your online account. Statements are no longer mailed frequently unless you’re very close to retirement, so the website is the best place to get your statement.
Your statement will tell you several things. It will tell you whether you have enough credits to collect Social Security benefits — you need 40 quarters, or ten years, of work to qualify. You will need to have paid Social Security tax during those 40 quarters.
Your statement will also tell you what your full retirement age is. If you were born in 1960 or later, your full retirement age is 67. The full retirement age was raised from 65 to 67, but the increase happened slowly, so those born before 1960 will have a younger full retirement age.
Perhaps the most important information you will see on your Social Security statement is the estimated amount you will receive if you file for retirement benefits at different ages. You should be able to see what your benefit would be for each year you could file — from age 62 to age 70.
On page two of your Social Security statement, you’ll see another very important piece of information — your earnings record. This shows the amount you earned each year that you worked. Your first 30 or so years will be consolidated, so you may see “1991 – 2000,” for example, with the total amount you earned in that 10-year period.
It’s a good idea to check your Social Security statement each year after your tax return has been processed to make sure that it accurately reflects your earnings. Your benefit is calculated based on how much you earned while working, so if there is an error in your earnings record, you could receive a smaller benefit than you’re entitled to.
What You Will Need To Apply
According to the Social Security Administration, when the time comes to apply for your benefits, they may ask for these documents:
- Your Social Security Card or a record of the number.
- An original or certified birth certificate.
- Proof of citizenship or lawful alien status if you were born outside the U.S. This must be an original or certified document and must not have expired.
- A copy of your military service papers if you served before 1968.
- A copy of your W-2(s), or your tax return, if you are self-employed, from the prior year.
If you are applying for benefits on your spouse’s record, you’ll also need your spouse’s name, the date you married, and, if divorced, the date of divorce. If you were married more than 10 years, and you have not remarried, you can collect half of your ex-spouse’s benefit if it’s more than yours.
If you paid into the Social Security system while you worked, you should get the benefit that you are eligible for when you retire. Making sure you have the right information will help ensure that happens.
More From GOBankingRates
