Social Security Mistakes

Did you know that that the Social Security Administration (SSA) makes mistakes on at least 3 percent of the total official earnings records!

Social Security benefits are based on your 35 highest-earning years as reported to the government by your employers. If an employer has given the government incorrect salary data or if the government has erred in recording the information, you want to get it corrected as quickly as possible.

Two other factors that can cause mistakes are if you changed your name following a marriage or divorce, or if your date of birth in SSA records isn't the same as it appears in IRS files. Double check your SSA statement for these possible mishaps and make sure your earnings data matches the amounts on your W-2 forms.

SSA statements are mailed annually (about three months before your birthday) to everyone age 25 and over who is not already receiving Social Security benefits. If you're not receiving yours, see http://www.ssa.gov/mystatement.

Be sure to check out my other social security post which covers your retirement age. And as always, keep this blog alive and well by tipping me!.