1. Social Security and Retirement Planning: A Hit or Myth Proposition
MASFAA Annual Conference Presentation
November 16, 2018
Kurt Czarnowski
Czarnowski Consulting: Expert Answers to Your Social Security Questions 1

2. A Foundation for Planning Your Future
Social Security provides a foundation on which to build retirement security. But, again, it was never intended to be one’s sole source of income in retirement, and benefits must be supplemented.

3. The Social Security Statement
The Social Security Statement is an important planning tool and can now be requested at any time.
Social Security estimates are all based on reported wages.
The Statement provides you with benefit estimates and allows you to check your earnings history for accuracy.
While mailings have resumed on a limited basis, you can also request a Statement anytime at:

4. Use the Retirement Estimator
Convenient, secure, and quick financial planning tool
Immediate and accurate benefit estimates
Lets you create “What if” scenarios based on different ages and earnings
You can get estimates of your future Social Security retirement benefits using the online Retirement Estimator.
You must enter certain ID information about yourself to use, such as your name, date of birth, Social Security number, place of birth and mother’s maiden name.

5. Full Retirement Age Year of Birth Full Retirement Age
1937 or earlier 65
& 2 months
& 4 months
& 6 months
& 8 months
& 10 months
1943 –
& 2 months
& 4 months
& 6 months
& 8 months
& 10 months
1960 or later 67
You have options as to when to start receiving benefits, but before considering the various options, you need to make sure you know what is considered your “Full Retirement Age.”
The increase in full retirement age was the result of the 1983 Amendments.
Some people now refer to “full retirement age” as “Normal Retirement Age.”
In addition, the Medicare eligibility age of 65 has not changed. You should apply for Medicare 3 months before your 65th birthday, even when you plan to apply for your retirement or spouse’s benefits later.

6. Your Age At The Time You Elect Retirement Benefits Affects the Amount
If You’re a Worker and Retire:
At your FRA, you get your full benefit amount.
Before your Full Retirement Age (FRA), you get a reduced monthly payment. 62 is the earliest age at which you can begin to collect benefits.
Past your FRA, you get an even higher monthly payment. However, you can only earn these Delayed Retirement Credits (DRCs) until age 70.

7. Your Age At The Time You Elect Retirement Benefits Affects the Amount
For example, if you were born from 1943 through 1954:
Age 62 75% of benefit
Age % of benefit
Age % of benefit
As an example, if you have a FRA benefit amount of $1,000, you would collect:
--$750 at age 62
--$800 at age 63
--$1,000 at age 66
--$1,080 at age 67
--$1,320 at age 70.
It is ultimately the individual’s choice when to start collecting benefits.

8. Your Age At The Time You Elect Retirement Benefits Affects the Amount
But, if you were born from 1960 on:
Age 62 70% of benefit
Age % of benefit
Age % of benefit
As an example, if you have a FRA benefit amount of $1,000, you would collect:
--$750 at age 62
--$800 at age 63
--$1,000 at age 66
--$1,080 at age 67
--$1,320 at age 70.
It is ultimately the individual’s choice when to start collecting benefits.

9. How Social Security Determines Your Benefit
Social Security benefits are based on earnings
Step 1 -Your wages are adjusted for changes in wage levels over time
Step 2 -Find the monthly average of your 35 highest earnings years
Step 3 -Result is “average indexed monthly earnings”
Social Security benefits are related to what someone’s earnings have been.
Benefits are calculated according to a formula which uses the highest 35 years during a worker's lifetime of earnings, regardless of when earned.
There is, however, no such thing as a minimum benefit.

10. What You Can Expect at Full Retirement Age
55%
41%
34%
An underlying principle is that Social Security provides a weighted benefit formula that helps lower wage earners by replacing a higher percentage of that person’s pre-retirement earnings.
For the average wage earner, the Social Security payment is only intended to replace about 41% of pre-retirement earnings.

11. You Can Work & Still Receive Benefits
You Can If You Make More,
If You Are Make Up To Some Benefits Will
Be Withheld
Under Full
Retirement Age $17,040/yr. ($1,420/mo.) $1 for every $2
The Year Full Retirement
Age is Reached $45,360/yr. ($3,780/mo.) $1 for every $3
Month of Full Retirement
Age and Above No Limit No Limit
At full retirement age, there is no limit on the amount you can earn without affecting your benefit payments.
If you are under FRA, you are subject to an annual earnings test. You can make up to $15,480 in earned income without any loss of benefits. If you make over that, Social Security reduces your payments by $1 for each $2 that you are over the threshold.
In the year you reach FRA, for the months prior to attaining full retirement age, you can earn up to $41,400/year ($3,450/mo.) without affecting your benefits. For every $3 in earnings above the limit, one dollar in benefits will be withheld.
The annual retirement earnings test exempt amounts are increased annually by the average increase in wages in the U.S.
Note: If some of your retirement benefits are withheld because of your earnings, your benefits will be increased starting at your full retirement age to take into account those months in which benefits were withheld.

12. Spouse’s Benefit Computation
Benefit is 50% of worker’s FRA amount.
Does not lower payment to worker.
Benefit amount is reduced if spouse is under FRA.
If spouse’s own benefit is less than 50% of the worker’s, the amounts are combined.
A spouse who has not worked or who has low earnings can be entitled to as much as one-half of the retired worker’s full benefit.
If you are eligible for both your own retirement benefits and for benefits as a spouse, we always pay your own benefits first. If your benefits as a spouse are higher than your retirement benefits, you will get a combination of benefits equaling the higher spouse benefit.
If spouses want to get Social Security retirement benefits before they reach full retirement age, the amount of the benefit is reduced. The amount of reduction depends on when the person reaches full retirement age.
For example:
If full retirement age is 66, a spouse can get 35 percent of the worker’s unreduced benefit at age 62;
The amount of the benefit increases at later ages up to the maximum of 50 percent at full retirement age. 12

13. Widow or Widower Benefit Computation
At full retirement age, 100% of deceased worker’s benefit
At age 60, 71.5% of deceased worker’s benefit
Can collect Reduced benefits on one record at age 60, then reduced or unreduced benefit on other record at age 62 or older
Regardless of the change in full retirement age, a widow or widower can still receive 71-1/2% of the worker’s benefit at age 60.
A widow or widower can receive a survivors benefit at age 60 and then switch to a benefit on his or her own work record at age 62. Or, a widow or widower could receive a reduced survivors benefit at age 60 and then file for an unreduced benefit on his or her own work record at full retirement age.
Benefits paid to a surviving divorced spouse who is 60 or older (age 50 if disabled) will not affect the benefit rates for other survivors receiving benefits.

14. In Addition to the Retiree, Who Else Can Get Benefits?
Your Ex-Spouse
Marriage lasted at least 10 years
Ex-spouse is 62 or older and unmarried (you can be married)
If you have been divorced at least two years, and you and your ex-spouse are at least 62, he or she can get benefits even if you are not yet retired
Ex-spouse’s benefit amount has no effect on the amount you or your current spouse can get
Your divorced spouse can get benefits on your Social Security record if the marriage lasted at least 10 years. Your divorced spouse must be 62 or older and unmarried. Also, if you and your ex-spouse have been divorced for at least two years and you and your ex-spouse are at least 62, he or she can get benefits even if you are not retired. Your current spouse cannot receive spouse’s benefits until you file for retirement benefits.
The amount of benefits your divorced spouse gets has no effect on the amount of benefits you or your current spouse can get. 14

15. Social Security “Strategies”
Claim Some Now; Claim More Later—OLD LAW
One member of the couple must have applied for his/her own retirement benefits;
Spouse “restricted the scope of the application” and filed ONLY for a spouse’s benefit;
Spouse began to collect up to 50% of other worker’s FRA amount, while earning DRCs on own
Spouse must have been at or over Full Retirement Age (FRA);
Prior to FRA, spouse could not restrict scope of application and was “deemed” to be applying for own benefit first
Allows one member of the couple to collect a spousal benefit while not collecting on his/her own account and earning DRCs.
Must be at FRA to be able to collect just a spousal benefit. 15

16. Social Security “Strategies”
Claim Some Now; Claim More Later—NEW LAW
Anyone born January 1, 1954 or earlier, i.e. is age 62 or older by the end of 2015, will operate under old rules and will still be able to file a “restricted application” at or after FRA;
Anyone born after that date will be subject to “deemed filing” rule, even at FRA;
Extension of “deemed filing” rule does not apply to survivor benefits;
Widow(er) will still be able “pick and choose.”
Allows one member of the couple to collect a spousal benefit while not collecting on his/her own account and earning DRCs.
Must be at FRA to be able to collect just a spousal benefit. 16

17. Your Benefits Can Be Taxable
Applies to those with a Modified Adjusted Gross Income (MAGI) above $25,000 (individual) or $32,000 (couple filing jointly).
Up to 85% of benefits received could be treated as ordinary income for federal tax purposes.
About half of people who get Social Security pay income taxes on their benefits.
At the end of each year, people receive a Social Security Benefit Statement (Form SSA-1099).
Social Security benefits have been subject to federal income tax since 1983.

18. A Foundation for Planning Your Future
Social Security provides a foundation on which to build retirement security. But, again, it was never intended to be one’s sole source of income in retirement, and benefits must be supplemented.