For Individuals
Social Security for retirees and workers
Whether you are years from retirement or claiming soon, start here for clear, practical guidance on your benefits.
Start here
Estimate your benefit
Use the official PIA formula to project your monthly retirement benefit.
Find your payment date
See when your benefit arrives each month based on your birthday.
Learn the basics
Full retirement age, COLA, spousal and survivor benefits, explained simply.
Official forms & guides
Apply, appeal, and find SSA publications in our resource directory.
News for individuals
MoreSanders' $2,400 Social Security Boost, Explained
The Social Security Expansion Act would add $200 a month to every benefit check, funded by taxing income above $250,000 — and Sanders is pitching it as the alternative to the fast-track PROMISE Act. It's a bill with long odds, not a coming raise. Here's what it would do and who would pay.
The $100,000 Social Security Benefit Cap, Explained
A budget watchdog has proposed capping Social Security benefits at $100,000 a year per couple — but it's a think-tank idea, not a bill, and by its authors' own math it would initially affect only about the top 0.05% of couples. Here's how it would work and where it fits in the solvency debate.
Denied SSDI? The Disability Appeal Process Explained
Most SSDI claims are denied at first — but a denial is the middle of the process, not the end. You have 60 days to appeal, and SSA's own data show the ALJ hearing is where denied claims most often become approvals. Here's each appeal stage and how to strengthen your case.
Survey: Seniors Back Taxes on Young to Save Benefits
89% of Americans 65 and older say current retirees' benefits should be protected even if it means higher taxes on younger workers, a Cato Institute/YouGov survey found — but only 53% of adults under 30 agree. Here's the generational divide behind Social Security's funding debate — and where the parties actually agree.
How Married Couples Can Maximize Social Security
The average married couple gets about $4,000 a month from Social Security — but coordinating when each spouse claims can swing the household's lifetime total by six figures. The key move: have the higher earner delay toward 70. Here's the playbook.
Now You Can Track Your Disability Claim Online
Social Security has added online tools that let disability claimants track their claim status, submit key forms, and get hearing notices through their my Social Security account — real-time visibility for a process that's often a monthslong black box.
Get the free 2026 Social Security Cheat Sheet
The key numbers, claiming ages, and a pre-claim checklist — on one page. Plus a short, plain-English weekly update. No hype, no spam.
Free · Unsubscribe anytime · We never share your email.