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YOUR SOCIAL SECURITY | Rock Island, Illinois Office

By Cristina Vital
Social Security Manager
Rock Island Social Security Office

SEE ALL TYPES OF GREEN THIS SPRING: FINANCIAL LITERACY MONTH

April is Financial Literacy Month, and there is no better time than right now to save for your future. The earlier you start saving, the more you can take advantage of compound interest — that is like “free money” to power up your 401ks and other types of IRAs. Social Security helps secure your future, but it should only be a foundation for a more complete retirement plan.

Part of financial literacy is having access to not just correct information, but your own personal financial information. Social Security has that. You can open your own personal my Social Security account at www.socialsecurity.gov/myaccount and within a matter of minutes have access to your information from the comfort of your home or office. There, you can do many things, but the most important thing is to view your Social Security Statement.

Your Social Security Statement is a concise, easy to read personal record of the earnings on which you have paid Social Security taxes and a summary of the estimated benefits you and your family could receive, including potential retirement, disability, and survivors benefits. Once you have an account, you can view your Statement at any time. You will want to verify that your recorded earnings are correct because your future benefits are based on your recorded earnings.

In addition to using your personal my Social Security account, you can also prepare for a secure, comfortable retirement by visiting www.myra.gov. There, you will find myRA, a new retirement savings option from the Department of the Treasury for the millions of Americans who face barriers to saving for retirement. myRA is a simple, secure, and affordable way to help you take control of your future. It is free and you have zero risk of losing money.

We also offer the online Retirement Estimator at www.socialsecurity.gov/estimator that provides immediate and personalized benefit estimates based on your earnings record. In addition, best of all, the Retirement Estimator is an interactive tool that allows you to compare different retirement options like future earnings and different retirement ages.

One sure way to stay on top of your financial future is to join the more than 28 million people who have opened their own my Social Security account at www.socialsecurity.gov/myaccount. The sooner you start planning for retirement the better off you will be.

SECURE YOUR FUTURE WITH NATIONAL SOCIAL SECURITY MONTH

For more than 80 years, Social Security has helped secure today and tomorrow with information, tools, and resources to meet our customers’ changing needs and lifestyles. In April, we celebrate National Social Security Month and encourage you to know your Social Security by exploring what you can do online at www.socialsecurity.gov. Social Security is collaborating with groups and organizations around the country to host numerous events and activities to raise awareness about our many valuable benefits, services, and programs.
What Social Security Offers

Easy accessibility: www.socialsecurity.gov is available 24/7 with detailed information, publications, Frequently Asked Questions, and other resources for almost any circumstance. Whether you want to estimate the amount of your future Social Security benefits, replace a lost Social Security card, or apply for retirement, disability, or survivors benefits, www.socialsecurity.gov is your reliable source for information to help you and your loved ones.

Convenient services: Our convenient and secure online services at www.socialsecurity.gov/onlineservices put you in control. You can apply for Social Security benefits, check the status of your application or appeal, get an instant benefit verification letter, verify your lifetime earnings, block electronic access to your information, and so much more — all without having to visit a local office or calling to speak to a representative.

Secure interaction: One of our most important responsibilities is protecting your personal information and your financial contributions. We use state-of-the-art systems for this; conduct continuous reviews to help us ensure proper payments, and much more. In addition, we work hard to educate everyone on best practices for protecting their Social Security number.

We are committed to safeguarding the information and resources entrusted to us. Are you looking for secure access to your Social Security information? Visit www.socialsecurity.gov/myaccount and create your personal my Social Security account.

Join our efforts to promote National Social Security Month. Share our message: “Get to know your Social Security and see what you can do online” by sharing our social media posts on Facebook and Twitter. On the other hand, you can create your own message expressing the success you have had with our many services and programs. We are here for you, through life’s journey, at www.socialsecurity.gov.