Webinar to Explain Social Security
In a webinar next Thursday, an official from the Social Security Administration will explain the fundamentals of calculating and claiming benefits.
Social Security represents the largest single financial resource for most baby boomers, so deciding when to file for benefits is their single biggest retirement decision.
The value today of that future stream of monthly checks – $287,200 for the typical household aged
55-64 – far exceeds the value of home equity or 401(k)s for most people, according to 2010 data from the Federal Reserve Board. And it often exceeds the value of their traditional defined benefit pension plan – if they even have one. The lower one’s income, the more Social Security matters too.
The webinar was organized by the National Retirement Planning Coalition for financial planners, who are not always familiar with all the rules for the program. But anyone can participate, according to the coalition leader, the Insured Retirement Institute. (Full disclosure: the Center for Retirement Research, which hosts this blog, is a coalition member). Space is limited and going fast for the webinar, which will also be available online a few days after the webinar on this website.
To register for the April 11 webinar, click here.
The following topics, among others, will be covered in the webinar, including:
- How does Social Security calculate benefits?
- What is your Full Retirement Age?
- How are monthly benefits affected by the age at which you claim?
- What if I’m divorced?
- Can I work and collect at the same time?
- When can I sign up for Medicare?
