SS Statement Amounts

[mykes2025]

I am approaching 62 (Oct this year). I am going to take SS when I can. I may wait until Jan 2027 for ACA reasons but, my question to those who have taken it. How close was the amount you actually received to the amount your SS Statement said you were due?

Except for maybe the last 10 years or so, there is no way I could verify my income amounts for years in the 80's, 90's or 2000's.

Did you get what was stated? Or more, or less, and if more or less what were the reasons? Thanks. Just want to know what to expect. For years, I have just plugged in the statement amount in my retirement plan. Just curious if it's accurate or near accurate.

 

[audreyh1]

Right on the money. We’ve had been retired many years before taking it. SS statement got updated every late November.

 

[mykes2025]

Right on the money. We’ve had been retired many years before taking it. SS statement got updated every late November.

Nice! thank you. I retired in 2021, so I've been watching my amounts since then and plugging those numbers in. If it's spot on, I'm going to happy.

 

[Just_Steve]

I wound up getting $90.00 more than my pre filing statement stated. Why? I have no clue.

 

[Dtail]

The SS statement number was spot on.
In addition, I have only had pleasant efficient and knowledgeable conversations with their reps. Same with the ACA reps.

 

[Calico]

The amount on the online statement was within one dollar of what I got when I filed.

 

[JCH10400]

Mine was close, but not exact. However, I also had a situation that may not be that common. I had worked under Soc Sec early in my career, then switched to government work that had its own pension and wasn't covered under Soc Sec. I didn't have the maximum number of years Soc Sec uses in their calculations, so after I retired from the govt job I worked part time at a covered job and was still working when I filed. Given all that I wasn't expecting it to be exact.

 

[jebmke]

I checked their calculation against mine using AnyPIA. The determination letter they sent me was off significantly (low). I filed an "appeal" using their form and attached the AnyPIA report and it was fixed by the first month of payment.

 

[mykes2025]

I checked their calculation against mine using AnyPIA. The determination letter they sent me was off significantly (low). I filed an "appeal" using their form and attached the AnyPIA report and it was fixed by the first month of payment.

Interesting. I have never heard of AnyPIA. What is this? Even tho I don't know what it is now (will research), how can you dispute or appeal something unless you have exact income data going back 35 years? I said in my OP, I have zero idea how I could verify if a few decades income was correct? what's the magic sauce please?

 

[Al18]

If you kept all your tax returns, you should be able to compare the SS from your W2's with the numbers on your SS statement.

The monthly amount of the SS statement estimate exactly matched the benefit.

 

[YellowSubmarine]

Except for maybe the last 10 years or so, there is no way I could verify my income amounts for years in the 80's, 90's or 2000's.

SSA has you total pay history available when you log into your account.

 

[mykes2025]

If you kept all your tax returns, you should be able to compare the SS from your W2's with the numbers on your SS statement.

The monthly amount of the SS statement estimate exactly matched the benefit.

Sadly, I was not that organized or mature as a 20, 30, or even 40 something to keep those documents.

 

[Texas Proud]

If you kept all your tax returns, you should be able to compare the SS from your W2's with the numbers on your SS statement.

The monthly amount of the SS statement estimate exactly matched the benefit.

That would be great... except when you get married and your new DW wants to get rid of stuff that is in the way and part of that is your old tax returns!!!

She still insists to this day she did not get rid of them... but they are gone!!

 

[pacergal]

Almost to the penny.

 

[Life_is_Good]

I just started claiming SS benefits at the end of 2025. It was exactly the amount reflected on the statement. Then I received the cola... so now it's slightly higher.

 

[braumeister]

SSA has you total pay history available when you log into your account.

Yes, it's all there in your account.
Look under "Earnings" and you'll see your entire history going back to your first covered job.

 

[Exchme]

If you need ACA and would get a premium credit if you didn't receive SS, then it's probably worth waiting to age 65, letting your benefit grow while you get the premium credit. The normal growth in SS benefit for not claiming so early (claiming at age 65, you would get 86.67% of your PIA), plus extra money from a premium credit is going to be hard to beat.

Even after 65, it may still be worth it to defer - if you have a substantial balance in your tax deferred account, it may be attractive to do Roth Conversions from age 65-70, again letting SS benefits grow while you use low tax space for conversions.

You can get a feel for the cost/benefit of deferring by using opensocialsecurity.com and scrolling to the graph at the bottom, selecting alternate dates for claiming or clicking the box at the top to investigate alternate life spans.

Opensocialsecurity.com does not know anything about your ACA or Roth Conversions though. In order to integrate the value of ACA and Roth Conversions into your plan, you need to do other calculations, such as using one of the low cost commercial retirement modeling programs.

 

[mykes2025]

Thank you all for the responses. I think I can rest easy my amount is going to be spot on, or very near the number on the statement.