Retirement Planning Blog

The last year has seen the largest increase in Social Security checks in the past 25 years with a rate of 5.8 percent. At the same time, as per the present law, the enrollees are also not going to get any cost-of-living adjustment in the next three years. In fact, the increment in Social Security is linked to the Consumer Price Index for the urban workers. It can be recalled here that the Consumer Price Index has decreased last year due to the plunging prices.

It’s the new retirees born in 1947and signed for the Social Security this year, rather than the current beneficiaries, who are going to get affected by the impact of the lack of Social Security boost. These people didn’t reap any benefit from the increase of Social Security last year. Moreover, there is every possibility that their purchasing power may erode by inflation before the cost-of-living increases once again in 2012. Andrew Biggs, a former deputy commissioner of the Social Security Administration and a resident scholar at the American Enterprise Institute has done an analysis to find out the possible impact of it on the retirees. According to the analysis, the new retirees may face a permanent benefit reduction of about 5 percent, while the benefits of the current retirees will remain the same.

Owing to the inflation hitch in 2008, newly retired couples are going to get a monthly Social Security check of $2,235. According to the calculations of Biggs, they will lose almost $1,340 per year. The calculation also says that, if the couple survives until the age of 83, they would lose around $25,000 in their lifetime.

It is not possible to evade this financial loss by delaying your retirement either, unless the cost-of-living gets adjusted, which is again projected to resume in 2012.

Social Security is the national retirement care plan that is available in the US. Pension is one of the important benefits that are provided through the program. The pension is also known as Old-age Insurance benefit or Retirement Insurance Benefits. The pension benefits are applicable after one attains the age of 62 or more.

In most cases, the payments and the benefits that you get from Social Security are made in the third of each month or on the fourth Wednesday. Usually, the benefits that you get that based according to the date of the birth and some other factors.

In order to be covered under the Social Security pensions , there are certain things that one needs to comply with. The requirements of the benefits are made as per the mode of payments and also the age of the applicant. Some of the requirements that you need to follow are:

• You need to be of the age of 62 and above to enjoy the benefits

• You need to be fully insured in the Social Security System

• You either need to apply for the benefits or convert the Disability Insurance Benefits after reaching the age of full retirement

One can apply for pension benefits through a number of ways. You can make applications for Social Security benefits :

• By making applications through the net

• By making applications through the mail

• By applying directly at the office of Social Security

• By making applications with the Immediate Claims Taking Unit

There are also some factors which determine the amount of the Social Security pension. Some of them are the amount of the payroll taxes that you pay into the Social Security Trust Fund, the age when you can claim the benefits, the current income that you are earning and also whether you are a part of any type of military service.