Social Security’s retirement estimator turns three

Published 12:00 am Sunday, July 31, 2011

It’s been three years since Social Security’s Retirement Estimator went online.

Within months of coming out, the online application was praised as one of the highest-rated online services around, and it has consistently remained so every year.

Results from the American Customer Satisfaction Index show Social Security’s online Retirement Estimator in one of the top two spots, with a score of 90. (Social Security’s online benefit application took the top spot.)

Email newsletter signup

The Retirement Estimator ranks higher than the websites of any other public and private sector agencies and companies, including the likes of Netflix and Amazon.

Millions of people have used the Retirement Estimator. You may try it yourself at www.socialsecurity.gov/estimator.

Now that Social Security’s most popular online application is available in Spanish at www.segurosocial.gov/calculador, even more people can use the Retirement Estimator.

The Retirement Estimator is a convenient, secure, and quick financial planning tool that lets workers calculate how much they might expect to receive in Social Security benefits when they retire.

The attractive feature of this calculator is that it uses your earnings information on file at Social Security, without displaying your personal information. So you get an instant, personalized estimate of your future retirement benefits.

The Estimator even gives you the opportunity to run different scenarios and “what if” situations.

For example, you can change the date you expect to retire or change expected future earnings to create and compare different retirement options.

This can help you as you plan ahead.

To use the Retirement Estimator, you must have enough Social Security credits to qualify for benefits and you cannot be receiving benefits currently.

Experience the best online service now by visiting Social Security’s Retirement Estimator at www.socialsecurity.gov/estimator.

Then, once you’ve sketched out your retirement plans, you’ll know where to go when the time comes to apply for benefits: online at www.socialsecurity.gov.

Jeri Fields is the manager of the Social Security Administration’s district office in Ironton. She can be reached at (866) 895-2139 ext 25100.