Confused by your Social Security benefits? You’re not alone. Luckily our expert Rob Kron breaks it down to just three things that are key to making sense of Social Security.I think a lot of that has to do with the fact that all of us bought social security in complete and total ignorance. Right? It was a forced purchase. And it's not until you approach retirement that you give serious thought to the question, "So when should I take my money?" Now, there are a lot of factors that go into answering that question; and we're going to explore a lot of those through this series. Now, I speak to thousands of people every year about social security, and I'll tell you that fundamentally, there are three primary considerations that everyone should be thinking about when answering that question. First, what's your employment situation going to look like? Are you going to keep working, or stop working? What's your marital status? Are you married? And if so, what are the age differences between the two of you? What are the earnings differences between the two of you? And then lastly, longevity. Right? Because it does matter how long you live, as to how much money you're going to get. So we'll explore all of these topics in future segments. This material is provided for educational purposes only and does not constitute investment advice. The information contained herein is based on current tax laws, which may change in the future. BlackRock cannot be held responsible for any direct or incidental loss resulting from applying any of the information provided in this publication or from any other source mentioned. The information provided in these materials does not constitute any legal, tax or accounting advice. Please consult with a qualified professional for this type of advice. For more information visit ssa.gov. For more on Social Security, visit our Retirement Center here. Rob Kron, Managing Director, is the head of Investment and Retirement Education for BlackRock’s U.S. Wealth Advisory group. He provides practical information on topics that are important to every saver and investor of every age. You can find more from Rob here. ©2014 BlackRock, Inc. All rights reserved. iSHARES and BLACKROCK are registered trademarks of BlackRock, Inc., or its subsidiaries. All other marks are the property of their respective owners Investopedia and BlackRock have or may have had an advertising relationship, either directly or indirectly. This post is not paid for or sponsored by BlackRock, and is separate from any advertising partnership that may exist between the companies. The views reflected within are solely those of BlackRock and their Authors.
