Social Security For Dummies. Peterson Jonathan
Чтение книги онлайн.

Читать онлайн книгу Social Security For Dummies - Peterson Jonathan страница

СКАЧАТЬ

      Jonathan Peterson

      Social Security For Dummies®

      Social Security For Dummies®, 3rd Edition

      Published by: John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 111 River Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030-5774, www.wiley.com

      Copyright © 2018 by AARP. All rights reserved. AARP is a registered trademark.

      Published simultaneously in Canada

      No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, scanning or otherwise, except as permitted under Sections 107 or 108 of the 1976 United States Copyright Act, without the prior written permission of the Publisher. Requests to the Publisher for permission should be addressed to the Permissions Department, John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 111 River Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030, (201) 748-6011, fax (201) 748-6008, or online at http://www.wiley.com/go/permissions.

      Trademarks: Wiley, For Dummies, the Dummies Man logo, Dummies.com, Making Everything Easier, and related trade dress are trademarks or registered trademarks of John Wiley & Sons, Inc., and may not be used without written permission. AARP is a registered trademark of AARP, Inc. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners. John Wiley & Sons, Inc., is not associated with any product or vendor mentioned in this book.

      LIMIT OF LIABILITY/DISCLAIMER OF WARRANTY: WHILE THE PUBLISHER, AARP, AND THE AUTHOR HAVE USED THEIR BEST EFFORTS IN PREPARING THIS BOOK, THEY MAKE NO REPRESENTATIONS OR WARRANTIES WITH RESPECT TO THE ACCURACY OR COMPLETENESS OF THE CONTENTS OF THIS BOOK AND SPECIFICALLY DISCLAIM ANY IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. NO WARRANTY MAY BE CREATED OR EXTENDED BY SALES REPRESENTATIVES OR WRITTEN SALES MATERIALS. THE ADVICE AND STRATEGIES CONTAINED HEREIN MAY NOT BE SUITABLE FOR YOUR SITUATION. YOU SHOULD CONSULT WITH A PROFESSIONAL WHERE APPROPRIATE. IF PROFESSIONAL ASSISTANCE IS REQUIRED, THE SERVICES OF A COMPETENT PROFESSIONAL PERSON SHOULD BE SOUGHT. THE PUBLISHER, AARP, AND THE AUTHOR SHALL NOT BE LIABLE FOR DAMAGES ARISING HEREFROM. THE FACT THAT AN ORGANIZATION OR WEBSITE IS REFERRED TO IN THIS WORK AS A CITATION AND/OR A POTENTIAL SOURCE OF FURTHER INFORMATION DOES NOT MEAN THAT THE PUBLISHER, AARP, OR THE AUTHOR ENDORSE THE INFORMATION THE ORGANIZATION OR WEBSITE MAY PROVIDE OR RECOMMENDATIONS IT MAY MAKE. FURTHER, READERS SHOULD BE AWARE THAT INTERNET WEBSITES LISTED IN THIS WORK MAY HAVE CHANGED OR DISAPPEARED BETWEEN WHEN THIS WORK WAS WRITTEN AND WHEN IT IS READ.

      For general information on our other products and services, please contact our Customer Care Department within the U.S. at 877-762-2974, outside the U.S. at 317-572-3993, or fax 317-572-4002. For technical support, please visit https://hub.wiley.com/community/support/dummies.

      Wiley publishes in a variety of print and electronic formats and by print-on-demand. Some material included with standard print versions of this book may not be included in e-books or in print-on-demand. If this book refers to media such as a CD or DVD that is not included in the version you purchased, you may download this material at http://booksupport.wiley.com. For more information about Wiley products, visit www.wiley.com.

      Library of Congress Control Number: 2017948550

      ISBN 978-1-119-37573-9 (pbk); ISBN 978-1-119-37577-7 (ebk); ISBN 978-1-119-37574-6 (ebk)

      Introduction

      You’re reading this book, so you’re probably thinking about the future – for yourself or for your loved ones. You probably want to know more about the Social Security benefits that could go to you and your family one day and how that money will meet your needs. You may also be thinking about the next phase of your life. Will it be financially comfortable? Will it be a struggle? If you’re like many people, you wonder whether you’re going to outlive your savings. Will Social Security keep you afloat? Can you count on your Social Security benefits? What should you know about the program? How can you find the information you need?

      Despite its significance in modern life, Social Security is rarely explained clearly in one place. Not in a way that lays out the program and explains how you fit in, all the protections Social Security offers, and what they mean for you and your loved ones. Not in a way that empowers you to plan right and face the bureaucracy with your eyes open. Not in a way that tells you what you need to know about the rules that affect benefit amounts and eligibility. But understanding this stuff is important – for you and for those who depend on you.

      That’s why I wrote this book: to explain the important protections of Social Security in a way that makes sense to the people who earn them and pay for them. (That means you!)

      Social Security is big, and it can be confusing. It has an endless assortment of rules, variations on the rules, exceptions to the rules, and exceptions to the exceptions to the rules. The fine print is a big deal. Decisions you make about retirement benefits can have a financial impact for many years, in ways you may not recognize today. Certain areas, such as disability, are especially complicated. No wonder you may be uncertain. It’s not like they teach you this stuff in school.

      Everybody has questions about Social Security – questions like these:

      ❯❯ What’s the best age for me to start claiming benefits?

      ❯❯ Can I work and also collect Social Security?

      ❯❯ How does my divorce affect my eligibility for benefits?

      ❯❯ Will it help my spouse if I wait until 70 to start collecting Social Security?

      ❯❯ Is the retirement age changing?

      ❯❯ What’s the best way to contact Social Security?

      ❯❯ What kind of benefits can go to a spouse or child?

      ❯❯ Can I solve my problem online?

      ❯❯ What should I bring with me when I apply for benefits?

      ❯❯ Will Social Security be there when I need it?

      You deserve helpful answers to these important questions and many others – answers that are clear and accurate. After all, Social Security is your program. You own it through the taxes you pay and the benefits you earn. You should know how your personal finances and your work history affect the benefits that land in your bank account. You should know what to expect from the bureaucracy and how to deal with it effectively. And you can find the answers in these pages.

      About This Book

      Social Security For Dummies walks you through the basics of this critical program: what Social Security is, how you qualify, when to file, how much you’ll get, how much goes to your dependents, and how to contact the Social Security Administration (SSA) to get the information you need. And it does all this in easy-to-understand plain English.

      Above all, this book is a reference, which means that you don’t have to read it from beginning to end, nor do you have to read every word, every chapter, or every part. Keep this book on your desk or kitchen counter and pull it out when you need an answer to a specific question. Feel free to skip anything marked with the Technical Stuff icon and anything in a shaded box (called a sidebar); that information is interesting but СКАЧАТЬ