Social Security Administration

Social Security reaches almost every family, and at some point, touches the lives of nearly all Americans. Social Security helps older Americans, workers who become disabled, and families in which a spouse of parent dies. Today, about 167 million people work and pay monthly Social Security taxes and about 59 million people receive monthly Social Security benefits.
But Social Security was never meant to be the only source of income for people when they retire. Social Security replaces about 40 percent of an average worker’s income after retiring, and most financial advisors say retirees will need 70 percent or more of preretirement earnings to live comfortably.
At our website, www.socialsecurity.gov you can:
Create a my Social Security account to review your Social Security Statement, get estimates of future retirement, disability and survivors benefits you and your family may receive and verify your earnings and more to help you in financial planning.