I never thought that once I started receiving my Social Security benefits, I would have to worry that they may disappear. I hope and pray that this will never happen, but the daily news surrounding the Social Security Administration is very scary. I have paid into Social Security since I was fifteen years old, and yes, I have hard copy documents that support my earnings for each year. I based my retirement on that information that I checked each year or as often as I wanted once it was available online. I strongly recommend that you go to ssa.gov and make a hard copy of your account. Do this sooner than later. From what I am hearing, many Social Security employees have been eliminated, and there are rumors that some Social Security offices are closing. If there is a problem with receiving benefits or applying for benefits or even a question about your benefits with fewer employees and fewer offices to visit, it will be harder to get answers about your account. I’m sure you have seen recent interviews with people trying to disparage Social Security and saying that it is a Ponzi scheme. It is not. The interview that really burned my butt was the one with the man that said if someone does not get their check and they call and complain about it, that is the person who is receiving their money fraudulently. He said his mother would not complain. Are you kidding me? Who is this person? Does he realize that most who receive Social Security benefits rely on that monthly payment as a large part of their income to survive? We earned that money; we paid into it, and our employers paid into it. You can actually go to the ssa.gov website and sign in to your account and see how much you paid and how much your employers paid. If you have never done this, I strongly recommend you do it immediately and make a hard copy and also save it digitally as well. “Keep your eyes on your money.”
Email the columnist at debbienorrell@aol.com
Click Here to View All “Lifestyles with Debbie Norrell” Articles
