To plan smart for retirement, estimate your Social Security benefits years before you'll need the money. Here's how to do it.

Get a clear estimate of your future Social Security income. Follow these five steps to review your records, calculate benefits, and prepare for retirement.

Your claiming age can wildly swing the monthly payout pendulum.

You may be wondering how your monthly Social Security benefit in retirement compares to others. If you're struggling to cover your costs on Social Security alone, that's understandable -- even if your ...

Some Social Security decisions are permanent. Learn six costly mistakes you can't undo as well as how to avoid them to protect your long-term retirement income.

Needless to say, Social Security is a large, complex program with over 74 million Americans receiving benefits each month. Social Security retirees can claim benefits at different ages, and the amount ...

Explore the Social Security benefit amounts you can receive at various retirement ages and whether the monthly amount or the lifetime amount matters more to you.

Social Security retirees can choose to claim benefits at different ages. When they decide to claim will impact how much in benefits they receive. There are other factors impacting how much they can ...

The first round of December's disability payments will be dispersed Wednesday. Use your birthday to see when you'll get your ...

In addition to retirement benefits, some retirees can collect spousal, divorce, or survivors benefits. Some retirees could earn hundreds of dollars more per month with this type of Social Security.

Divorced spouses can claim up to 50% of an ex's Social Security benefits. Learn more about the requirements for age, marriage duration, divorce period, and filing tips.

All Social Security beneficiaries will see a 2.8% increase in their benefit amount next year, but the most any retiree can receive monthly in 2026 is $5,251. That amount will go to those who retired ...