7 Publications to Help You Get Ready for Retirement
Social Security is with you throughout life’s journey. You’ve worked hard all your life and, when the day to retire comes along, we’ll be there. We know planning for retirement can come with a lot of questions. When should you apply? How much will you receive? What happens if you continue working? What about Medicare?
First, when to retire is a very personal decision and depends on several factors, such as your current cash needs, your current health, and family longevity. While Social Security plays an important role in retirement planning, it’s only one piece of the puzzle. Our benefits provide about 40 percent of what you earned before retirement.
To maintain your standard of living, you’ll need to supplement your Social Security benefits with additional income sources—like pensions, personal savings, investments, or part-time employment—to make up the remaining 60 percent or more.
Our publications can help you find answers and make informed decisions before you apply. Here are 7 publications to add to your retirement reading list.
- Retirement – Learn about Social Security retirement benefits: how you earn coverage; how to apply; how benefits are figured; and how to decide when to retire.
- When to Start Receiving Retirement Benefits – Take a look at some factors that can help you make an informed decision about the best time to retire.
- Your Retirement Benefit: How It's Determined – Learn about the formula used to calculate Social Security retirement benefits and take advantage of a worksheet to help you estimate your retirement benefits.
- Your Retirement Checklist – When to start receiving retirement benefits is a personal decision based on your situation. Learn about factors to consider as you think about when to start receiving your Social Security retirement benefits.
- Retire Online – Find out how easy it is to apply online for retirement benefits.
- How Work Affects Your Benefits – Find out how your retirement benefits can increase or decrease if you work after receiving benefits.
- What You Need to Know When You Get Retirement or Survivors Benefits – Find out what you can expect from Social Security, what your reporting responsibilities are, and how to report changes that could affect benefits.
Start planning today
You don't have to wait until you're ready to retire to start planning. Reviewing these publications and using your personal my Social Security account to check your earnings history and estimate your future benefits can help you understand your options before it's time to apply.
Visit our publications page to find these resources and more. Many publications are also available in Spanish and other languages.