Synopses & Reviews
A step-by-step guide to getting Social Security benefits for you and your family
Confused or uncertain about Social Security? This friendly, easy-to-understand guide cuts through the complexities and gives you the practical information you need to make sense of Social Security, make the most of the program, and make smart decisions about retirement.
Start with the basics learn what Social Security is and how it works, as well as why you need it and how to qualify
Take the plunge find out how to file for Social Security, collect and keep your benefits, and deal with the Social Security Administration
Discover the benefits grasp the rules covering spousal, family, and disability benefits and learn strategies to help you maximize your benefits
Plan for economic security discover how Social Security and Medicare work together to help with healthcare costs, get the facts on working in retirement, and consider how Social Security fits into your financial future
Open the book and find:
Easy explanations of Social Security's complex rules
How to use Social Security calculators and statements
Advice on when to start collecting retirement benefits
Tips for keeping your Social Security number safe from theft
How to help a loved one apply for and manage benefits
Ways to handle benefit mistakes and disputes
Ten myths about Social Security
How potential program changes could affect you
Learn to:
Make sure you ?? and your family get the benefits you've earned
Navigate the system
Determine when you qualify for retirement and disability benefits
Challenge a decision on your benefits
Understand how the program is funded
Synopsis
Social Security For Dummies provides readers with vital and clear-cut information about the U.S. Social Security Administration to further their understanding of the topic. The book proves to be a must-have for anyone receiving Social Security benefits by covering topics such as the history of the U.S. Social Security Administration, how benefits are funded and allocated, and various challenges and considerations for special circumstances
Synopsis
Social Security is on people's minds — they pay for it out of a payroll tax, they earn benefits, and they wonder whether it will be there for them and their kids one day. By addressing these aspects, we connect even more strongly with the questions that people are asking.
Social Security For Dummies gives readers the nuts and bolts of the program, and more: the benefits you and your family might qualify for, how to apply, rules you should know, tips on navigation, relevant historical information that impacts today’s benefits, how Social Security should fit into your retirement plans, and much more useful information.
Synopsis
The easy way to get a handle on Social SecurityAre you or a loved one looking to understand how Social Security benefits work? Social Security For Dummies helps you better understand and navigate the U.S. Social Security Administration, covering important topics such as how benefits are funded and distributed, the various Social Security options and how to qualify, and deciding when to start accepting Social Security benefits.
Additionally, it explains the history, regulations, and significant changes to U.S. Social Security, as well as considerations for the future of the program.
- Advice for ensuring you're receiving your maximum benefits
- Gives you a thorough breakdown of how benefits are determined and what programs are sponsored by the Social Security Administration
- Covers challenges and considerations for those with special circumstances
Whether you're receiving Social Security benefits, helping someone who is, or thinking about beginning to accept benefits yourself, Social Security For Dummies is a must-have resource for navigating this complicated (and sometimes confusing) landscape.
About the Author
Jonathan Peterson is Executive Communications Director at AARP and an award-winning journalist. He is a former Washington correspondent for the Los Angeles Times. During his news career, he covered the White House, state and national political campaigns, and various facets of U.S. domestic and economic policy. He was a 2007 National Press Foundation fellow in the Retirement Issues in the 21st Century program.
Table of Contents
Introduction 1Part I: The Nuts and Bolts of Social Security 9
Chapter 1: What Social Security Is and Why You Need It 11
Chapter 2: A Breakdown of Benefits 23
Chapter 3: Deciding When to Start Collecting Retirement Benefits 41
Chapter 4: Protecting Your Number and Securing Your Card 59
Part II: Taking the Plunge: Filing for Social Security 73
Chapter 5: Signing Up for Benefits 75
Chapter 6: Determining How Much You've Earned 87
Chapter 7: Navigating the System 95
Chapter 8: When You and Social Security Disagree: The Appeals Process 117
Part III: Who Benefits and When 135
Chapter 9: Spousal Benefits: Watching Out for Each Other 137
Chapter 10: Family Benefits: Who Gets What 153
Chapter 11: When You Can't Work: Social Security Disability Benefits 169
Part IV: Social Security and Your Future 195
Chapter 12: Enrolling in Medicare 197
Chapter 13: Working in "Retirement" 217
Chapter 14: Shaping a Financial Future You Can Live With 237
Part V: The Part of Tens 249
Chapter 15: Ten Myths about Social Security 251
Chapter 16: Ten Reasons Young People Should Care about Social Security 261
Chapter 17: Ten Choices Facing the Country about the Future of Social Security 269
Part VI: Appendixes 277
Appendix A: Glossary 279
Appendix B: Resources 289
Appendix C: Play the Game: You Make the Choices to Strengthen Social Security 295
Index 299