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Introduction

Our "Guides" introduce you to the Social Security rules and regulations, but more than that, the guides will give you information only insiders would know. The material is written in an easy to understand format. This free introductory guide of four pages gives a glympse of the types of benefits payable and Social Security's responsibilities as an agency.

The Social Security Agency - How It Works
Social Security pays almost $650 billion in monthly benefits to nearly 60 million people. Unfortunately, Social Security allowed staffing numbers to dramatically decease to the early 1970’s level. Currently they are in a hiring frenzy, but it will take years before new employees are fully trained. In the meantime, the Agency is losing experienced employees to retirement, causing a serious “brain drain.” There are eighty million baby boomers. The first baby boomer retired in January 2008 and the retirements will continue in massive numbers. Read more in this free seven page guide.

Guide to Overpayments - Know Your Rights

Getting a letter from Social Security saying you owe them money is a frightening experience to say the least. The overpayment could be as little as $1.00 or in the hundreds of thousands. The letter always requests refund within 30 days, right! How is that going to happen? What do you do? What is your first step? Invariably the letter will arrive late Friday, and now you will have all weekend to worry. We hope that what we tell you can help with some of the panic and anxiety as you do have other options besides making an immediate refund. After you read this 15 page guide, you should be able to sleep nights and better deal with the long arm of the government.


Guide to Getting Your Backpay - Know Your Rights

The information in this 5 page guide will help you understand how Social Security processes your back pay once you have been approved for Social Security Disability. This information pertains to Title II Social Security Disability (SSD) benefits. Title XVI Supplemental Security Disability Income (known as SSI or SSDI) payments are issued by your local office. Your SSDI payment is usually paid within 30 days of providing Social Security with the final information about your income and resources.


Retirement Benefits
Do you know your full Retirement age? Do you know the best time to file for your Retirement benefits? What if you file an application and change your mind? Can you file for just a spouse's benefit? Can you get back pay when you file for Retirement? This guide of 11 pages will tell you how to avoid the pitfalls and give you tips we have learned from working on the inside.

How Social Security Figures Your Check Amount
Years ago, Social Security employees had to figure benefit amounts without the use of a computer. As computer systems evolved, employees became dependent on them. Although they are trained on the basic steps of figuring a benefit amount, they rarely have the need to use the skill in the real work world. For this reason, they have difficulty explaining step-by-step how Social Security figures a benefit amount. This is an awesome guide of 15 pages for those who love a challenge. It will give you step-by-step instructions on how Social Security figures your benefit amount. Now you will know if they got it right.

Quarters Of Coverage - Your Tax Dollars
The Social Security taxes you pay earn you quarters of coverage. You need quarters of coverage to be insured for Social Security and Medicare benefits. If you find yourself short a quarter or two, what should you do? Do you know what to do if you have a year of earnings missing? Do you know what to do if a year of self-employment income is missing from your Social Security earnings record? This ten page guide will explain this and more.

The Social Security Number - The Rules Are Strict
Just about everyone in this country has applied for a Social Security number, lost a Social Security card, or changed their name on their card due to marriage or divorce. After you call Social Security and they tell you exactly what to do, how aggravating is it to mail your application or take it to the Social Security office only to find out that you do not have everything you need? What went wrong? Why is there so much misunderstanding about what Social Security requires before they will give you your Social Security card? What if someone steals your identity? Find these answers and more in this 13 page guide.

Windfall Elimination Provision
Social Security introduced the Windfall Elimination Provision in 1986. The law was part of the 1983 Amendments, Public Law 98-21. Under this law, Social Security uses a different formula to figure the amount of your check. This law reduces the amount of Social Security benefits for retired and disabled people who get both a Social Security check and a non-covered pension based on their own work. If you have read our Guide " How Social Security Figures Your Check Amount" this seven page guide will show you exactly where in the benefit formula the the change occurs that reduces your benefit amount.

Delayed Retirement Credits
Delayed retirement credits are extra credits earned for delaying the receipt of your Retirement benefits beyond your full retirement age. These credits increase your check amount. Are they worth waiting for? How much more do you actually get? This six page guide will spell it out and give you comparison examples.

How Social Security Figures Your Child's Benefit Amount
Do children always get benefits from their parent's work record? What if you have more than one parent receiving Social Security? Are you sure your child's benefit amount is correct? This is a simple three page guide that gives lots of examples of how a child's benefit amount is determined.

How Social Security Figures Your Spouse or Divorce Spouse's Benefit
Social Security figures a spouse benefit differently, if you are receiving a spouse benefit alone, or combined with retirement benefits. We will explain how Social Security figures a spouse benefit in either situation. When can a spouse get a check? What if your spouse never worked? What if you have young children? This guide has six pages and tells what you can expect to receive from Social Security..

Guide to Life Benefits Spouse, Divorced Spouse and Children
Social Security pays life benefits to spouses, ex-spouses and children of workers who are receiving Social Security benefits. They also pay divorced spouses even if the worker is not receiving Social Security benefits in some situations. Do you need a marriage certificate to qualify as a spouse? Find out if you qualify for benefits from your spouse or ex-spouse in this ten page guide.

Guide to Military Service How It Affects Your Check Amount
Social Security did not automatically post wage credits to the veteran’s earnings record until January 1968. When a veteran files a claim for Social Security benefits, the Social Security representative must consider additional wage credits. Find out in this seven page guide if you have received credit for your military service.

Disability Benefits
Coming soon...

How Your Earnings Affect Your Benefits
Coming soon...

Appeals
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