When to start collecting Social Security may be one of your major retirement decisions.
Many who are at or near the age to choose may need to review the program’s guidelines.
MassMutual handed 1,500 55-65-year-olds a 13-question true/false quiz.
65% of students failed or received a D. 18% of respondents achieved a C, 12% a B, and 6% an A. Only 1% of responders got 100%.
Claiming benefits is one of two time-sensitive retirement decisions. The other is health insurance.
There are specific rules, deadlines, and dates that you have to meet. And if you’re not careful, you may learn that oversight is costly.
Consider your age-based perks. Based on their earnings history, most persons approaching retirement will receive their full benefits at age 67. Delaying until age 70 will increase their monthly payouts.
Personal circumstances, such as a spouse or children who may benefit from your claim, are also important.
The quiz is available below, and you need to answer each of the statements with true or false. Then you can look at the correct answers found at the bottom.
If you want to review Social Security‘s rules, an excellent place to start is the agency’s website.
True or False?
1. Early filing (before my full retirement age) reduces benefits in most cases.
2. If I get benefits before my full retirement age and keep working, my benefits may be reduced depending on how much I earn.
3. My spouse can get benefits from my record even if they have no personal earnings history.
4. If my spouse dies, I’ll get both my full benefit and theirs.
5. If I’m in a same-sex marriage, Social Security retirement eligibility criteria are different.
6. The money deducted from my paycheck for Social Security is deposited into a particular account for me and stays there, accruing interest until I begin receiving Social Security payments.
7. Current law could lower Social Security benefits by 20% or more by 2035.
8. If I file for retirement benefits and have dependant children under 18, they may qualify for Social Security too.
9. If I get divorced, I could claim Social Security based on my ex-spouse’s Social Security earnings record.
10. According to the current Social Security law, the full retirement age is 65, regardless of birth year.
11. If I delay Social Security past 70, I’ll keep receiving delayed retirement credit increases every year I wait.
12. Social Security retirement benefits, like withdrawals from a standard individual retirement account, are subject to income tax.
13. To get Social Security benefits, I must be a U.S. citizen.
Answers
- True (89% of respondents answered this question correctly)
- True (82%)
- True (72%)
- False (68%)
- False (65%)
- False (62%)
- True (60%)
- True (58%)
- True (57%)
- False (56%)
- False (49%)
- False (42%)
- False (24%)
Contact Information:
Email: [email protected]
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Bio:
Mickey specializes in working with Federal Employees relative to their retirement benefit plans, FEGLI, TSP, Social Security and Medicare, issues and solutions. His mission is to help federal employees to understand their benefits, and to maximize their financial retirements while minimizing risk. Many of the federal benefit programs in place are complicated to understand and go through numerous revisions. It is Mickey’s job to be an expert on the various programs and to stay on top of changes.
Mickey enjoys in providing an individualized and complimentary retirement analysis for federal employees.
He has over 30 years of senior level experience in a variety of public and private enterprises, understands the needs of federal employees, and has expertise built on many years of high-level experience.
