Free Advice: Check your earnings BEFORE you retire or become disabled
that a woman in the MidWest was about to retire and collect all my benefits. Why ? Because when I got my first job, at Columbia Presbyterian Neurological Institute, at $35/week, I copied my Social Security number down incorrectly. One digit could have meant that I retired with nothing in my account. Luckily, the mistake I made was able to be rectified. The lesson to be learned. Check your records periodically. It does not cost anything, and it could prevent headaches in the future. Plus, you will be able to see how much you and your family can expect to receive in Federal retirement, disability and other benefits. In tomorrow’s post, we will look at the time limits for correcting the earnings record.