Living Longer: Let Social Security Help You Plan Your Retirement
by Dawn Heywood

All Americans need to understand at least the basics of the Social Security program.  For members of Professional Business Women of California (PBWC), there are reasons it can be especially important. 

Here’s why:

• Women tend to live longer than men, which means they are more likely than men to get Social Security survivors benefits;
• Women will probably have a greater financial need for Social Security retirement benefits, and collect them for a longer period of time since they live longer; and
• Women are more likely to be affected by some Social Security provisions than men, such as changing their surnames after marriage or divorce.

Social Security has two ways for PBWC members to conveniently get information that directly addresses their needs. For example, you'll find our special webpage “For Women” very helpful.

On the left side of the web page is a listing of roles that a woman may play in life, such as working woman, beneficiary, bride, new mother, divorced spouse, caregiver and widow.  When you click on any one of these roles, you are taken to Social Security information that would be of interest to you.  For example, “new mother” leads you to links on getting a Social Security number for your newborn, benefits for children, and more. 

On the right side of the webpage is a listing of Social Security programs — retirement, survivors and disability — as well as links to the Supplemental Security Income (SSI) and Medicare programs. And in the center of the “For Women” webpage are links to such topics as “Don’t Outlive Your Retirement Savings.”

This link is one that many working women will find particularly helpful because it takes them to Social Security’s financial planning website. They can use the calculators there to test different retirement ages or different scenarios for future earnings amounts.  It also provides some detailed financial information about how marriage, widowhood, divorce, self-employment, government jobs and other life or career events can affect Social Security. And it includes a link to a non-Social Security worksheet that will help visitors decide how much they need to save and invest for a comfortable retirement.

In addition, Social Security offers a booklet entitled Social Security: What Every Woman Should Know. This 24-page publication is a handy reference tool for any woman who needs a basic understanding of how the Social Security retirement, survivors and disability programs work. It also includes information for women on what to keep in mind about the Social Security program if they become widowed or divorced. And it addresses other Social Security issues that a woman may encounter, such as how to change her name, get Social Security numbers for her child(ren), and ensure Social Security coverage if she is self-employed or a household worker.

Free copies of the What Every Woman Should Know booklet can be printed by visiting our website or can be ordered by calling our toll-free number at 1-800-772-1213 (TTY 1-800-325-0778).

Connections magazine welcomes our new contributor

Dawn Heywood
Social Security Administration