Each year, about three months before your birthday, you’ll receive a paper statement that outlines your Social Security benefits. And now, the SSA’s online statement is easier to read and understand than before, providing estimated Social Security benefits amounts for every age from 62 to 70. If you’d like to keep closer tabs on your Social Security information, you can go online and create a “my Social Security” account. It’s simple to sign up; all you’ll need is basic information like name, birth date and address.

Especially in the years right before you plan to retire, it’s important to comb through your Social Security statement carefully to check for errors. It’s not uncommon for these statements to contain inaccurate information, and this can affect your Social Security monthly benefits. 

A common error in SSA statements is having a zero logged in a year where you actually made an income. Keep a record of your income over the years, or if you haven’t done this, check your tax records (consult your accountant or tax preparer if you don’t have physical copies of your tax returns. Or, if you’ve used a software like TurboTax, this information will be readily available in that system). 

If you determine there’s an error on your statement, contact the Social Security Administration at their national 800 number: 800-772-1213. You’ll be able to reach someone between 8:00 a.m. – 7:00 p.m., Monday through Friday. If you’re deaf or hard of hearing and use TTY equipment, you can use the administration’s TTY number, which is 800-325-0778.