By Maria M. Miranda
What do you plan to get for Mom this Mother’s Day? If she’s like most Americans, she probably feels time-constrained and the hours she spends with family and friends are precious. So, in addition to giving her flowers or a card, give her a gift she’ll really appreciate: the chance to spend more time with the ones she loves!
While spending time with your mom on Sunday, May 10, you can help her quickly and easily sign up for a free, online my Social Security account. You can do it from home, which means less time waiting in line, and more time doing the things you want to do together.
Signing up for a my Social Security account will give Mom the tools she needs to stay on top of her future Social Security benefits. When she signs up at www.socialsecurity.gov/myaccount, she can do a number of things. First and foremost, she can plan for her retirement.
Mom can never start planning for retirement too early. If she isn’t already retired, she can view her Social Security Statement, verify her earnings records, and find out what benefits she can expect to receive at age 62, her full retirement age, or at age 70.
Is Mom thinking of retiring at a different age? It’s easy to get instant, personalized benefit estimates, too. Just escort Mom to the Retirement Estimator, where she can plug in different scenarios to find out how much she can expect in Social Security benefits. She can also plug in different future wage amounts to see how her future benefits can be affected by when she retires and how much she contributes. Visit the Retirement Estimator at www.socialsecurity.gov/estimator.
As she continues to work and earn wages, she can use her my Social Security account to keep track of and verify her annual earnings. If Mom has already retired and receives Social Security benefits, she can use her account to:
- Get an instant letter with proof of her benefits;
- Change her address and phone number; and
- Start or change direct deposit of her benefit payment.
The time saved by using our convenient and secure online services is priceless. Helping Mom sign up for a my Social Security account at www.socialsecurity.gov/myaccount is a great, personalized gift that shows you really care!
Maria M. Miranda is Social Security District Manager in Palm Springs, CA
