Social Security messages for folks of all ages
Most folks tend to associate Social Security with older people. To be sure, most older Americans are very interested in Social Security. And we always have plenty of information they find useful and helpful. But we also have messages for the millions of people who wouldn’t know the difference between Lawrence Welk and Lawrence of Arabia.
So here are some samples of the kinds of Social Security messages we have for the younger crowd.
Brian is a 40-something computer software engineer. Maybe a decade ago, he would have been classified a “yuppie.” He was working long hours and making good money as he quickly moved up the corporate ladder. But in the past few years, he and his wife have slowed down a bit. They now have two kids to think about, and a big mortgage, and lately, long-range financial plans have replaced short-range vacation plans.
Our message to Brian is to pay attention to his Social Security Statement. We’ve been sending him one every year for quite some time now. But they always seem to have found their way into the “circular file,” instead of his file cabinet. The statement can be a very helpful financial planning tool. It lets Brian know not only the future Social Security benefits he will be due when he retires, but also the benefits he could get now if an injury or illness suddenly forced him out of the workplace. And the statement also gives his wife an idea of the benefits she and the kids would get if Brian were to die.
A message for Anne, a newlywed, reminds her to change her name in Social Security’s records. She should do that because she is now using a hyphenated version of her maiden and married names (or is taking her new husband’s last name). If her employer is reporting her earnings under a different name than we have in our records, her Social Security records cannot be updated, and she won’t get any credit for the taxes she’s paying.
That’s important because her future Social Security benefits are based entirely on her earnings. Getting a timely tax refund is another good reason to make sure her records match.
Brad is a 20-something who virtually lives on the Internet. He found his job and his apartment online, he uses an online dating service, and he bought a car off a popular Web site.
Our message to Brad and others like him is to safeguard his Social Security number. Although many businesses request a Social Security number as part of their record-keeping systems, there is no law that requires Brad to give it out. (There only are a few officially authorized uses of the Social Security number that require you to disclose it, such as when paying taxes or applying for government benefits.)
So if the dating service won’t set Brad up with the “Attractive SWF who loves romantic strolls on the beach” unless he provides his Social Security number, Brad will have to decide if it’s worth the risk.
Finally, there’s a message for Ernie, who is a little older than the others I’ve mentioned. In fact, Ernie is planning to retire soon. Our message is to “think online.” Social Security’s Web site at www.socialsecurity.gov has a lot of information Ernie will find helpful.