Format changes to Social Security Statement

[dadu007]

I realized today I hadn't checked ssa.gov in a while for my statement.
I see the format of the doc has changed for me, but when we log in to my wife's account, her doc format is still the old version.
(I'm 60, she's 53, maybe that's the trigger?)
Just curious, no biggie.

 

[PaunchyPirate]

Just checked mine. I'm age 59. Mine is still the old format.

 

[5Miler]

Made me look.

I'm age 68 and recently applied for benefits but not yet approved. Still shows the old format.

 

[latexman]

This is old news. https://www.early-retirement.org/forums/f28/anyone-getting-a-different-style-social-security-statement-109611.html

 

[CRLLS]

I cannot get an estimate of my benefits. I am collecting spousal benefits but will switch over to collecting based on my own earnings when I turn 70. I haven't found a way on line to see what that would be. I can estimate based on some COLA and the last actual statement I had some years ago.

 

[MissMolly]

I cannot get an estimate of my benefits. I am collecting spousal benefits but will switch over to collecting based on my own earnings when I turn 70. I haven't found a way on line to see what that would be. I can estimate based on some COLA and the last actual statement I had some years ago.

Use this tool. Go to your SS account, copy your earnings, paste them in and Bingo! All sorts of information.

https://ssa.tools/calculator.html

 

[teej1985]

Does the annual statement no longer include your earnings history?

 

[Time2]

Use this tool. Go to your SS account, copy your earnings, paste them in and Bingo! All sorts of information.

https://ssa.tools/calculator.html

Does this give an answer different than what the annual statement gives?
If yes - why?

 

[MissMolly]

Does this give an answer different than what the annual statement gives?
If yes - why?

I have no idea. I am drawing spousal so no longer can access a statement on my SS account so have nothing to compare it to. Why not just do it yourself and find out?

 

[Telly]

Use this tool. Go to your SS account, copy your earnings, paste them in and Bingo! All sorts of information.

https://ssa.tools/calculator.html

Thanks for posting that, MissMolly! It's great!

Earlier this year, I filed a restricted spousal application (I'm on the older side of the age deadline). I had no idea then that would make my mySSA statement details for holding off to age 70 or ages in between to disappear. And for me to be removed from getting answers from various SSA website calculators too. I had run the online SSA more detailed calculator earlier in the year before filing, which had PIA and hacked-up numbers for ages I put in, I wrote those down back then.

I downloaded the ANYPIA calculator from the SSA website... it's just as unfriendly as it was years ago. I was able to get current PIA out of it, and it matched the earlier SSA online, along with the age 70 value. It's still hopeless for getting sensible answers on interim dates.

The ssa.tools calculator you linked agreed with the few major mileposts I had, the math is good. The ssa.tools calculator offers many nice features, like being able to move a cursor month-by-month and see the result! Woo Hoo! And good explanations, too.

One of the few things I still can get from mySSA account is the record of earnings, so pasting that into ssa.tools with no problem. I also pasted the record into a blank WORD Doc, and even though there is a page break in the WORD doc, the ssa.tools takes it with no problem. So anytime I want I can quickly do a paste into the ssa.tools calculator without having to log into mySSA account to get the raw data. A real time and hassle-saver.

Maybe someday (I will probably be long gone by then!) SSA can implement something nice and helpful like that on the mySSA setup. They may need to scour the globe and nursing homes for COBOL programmers
Thanks again!

 

[teej1985]

Does this give an answer different than what the annual statement gives?
If yes - why?

The statement assumes you keep working forever, the ssa.tools uses your current data and is customizable for future years.