Do you need a Social Security Benefits Analysis?
We help our clients understand when they should file for and start collecting Social Security benefits based on their historical earnings records and financial situation. Whether you’re single, married, widowed, divorced, or even a self-employed business owner, Social Benefit Advisors will help you get every dollar you’re entitled to.
Even if you think you have your benefits strategy well structured, it always helps to have a second look. Determining the right strategy can help you maximize your benefits!
IF YOU THINK YOU MAY NOT BE GETTING ALL THE BENEFITS YOU ARE ENTITLED TO, WE CAN HELP!
Joshua Maggi and the team at Social Benefit Advisors can help you do it early and do it the right way. Don’t miss out on all the benefits that you are entitled to. Get in touch with us for more information about current Social Security benefits regulations and how a Social Security benefits analyst can help you.
We can help! Submit a callback request to speak with our professional analysts and review your situation. Let’s maximize your personal and family social security benefits.
INDIVIDUAL BENEFITS ANALYSIS
Social Benefit Advisors help people make the right decisions at the right time.
There are many factors that need to be considered when determining when and how to claim your Social Security benefits. For example, at what age you decide to begin collecting:
For an individual at FRA, the maximum benefit is $3,113, while a 62 years old person will only collect $2,324 per month. The maximum monthly Social Security benefit is $3,895, which someone may collect once they hit 70. However, you’ll also wish to consider other retirement income and how that income plus your individual Social Security benefits will affect your tax bracket.
You can benefit from smart planning of when to start collecting Social Security by considering all your income sources. The gains from waiting can be significant if you’re able to wait. We can give you the advice you need to make the best decision for your circumstances.
FAMILY SOCIAL SECURITY BENEFITS PLANNING
For married couples and families, Social Security planning is different. There is a Family Maximum Social Security benefit, which is the most that can be paid on a worker’s earnings record. For example, if the family’s primary wage earner begins taking Social Security retirement benefits, then their spouse or a family member with a disability may also qualify for benefits called “Social Security auxiliary benefits.”
In many cases, the spouse of the primary wage earner will receive up to 50% of their spouse’s benefit at their retirement age or the Social Security benefit that they’re entitled to, whichever amount is higher. The same goes for an adult child who is receiving Social Security Disability (SSDI) benefits. The Social Security Administration (SSA) caps the family maximum value at 150-188% of the main wage earner’s primary benefit amount.
It’s important to consider who in the family is entitled to which benefits, so that each person decides which one to take. Social Benefit Advisors can take a look at your family income situation and advise you on which kind of benefits will help your family the most. There are some exceptions to the family value, such as an ex-spouse that may be drawing from the primary worker’s benefit or if the individual with a disability is only receiving Social Security Income (SSI) benefits. Finally, if the primary wage earner is receiving SSDI benefits, then the maximum amount for the family will be less.
Often, families with special needs children are the most impacted by the family maximum cap. Therefore, it’s essential to properly plan who takes SSI or SSDI benefits, and when. The SSI benefit maximum only applies in situations where two or more people in the household are drawing Social Security benefits based on the primary wage earner’s benefit. So, proper planning is critical to ensure that everyone receives the family Social Security benefits they’re entitled to.
SOCIAL SECURITY BENEFITS FAQs
While every claim is different, here are some common questions about Social Security benefits and claim analysis:
Social Security’s main function is to keep seniors, the disabled and widows out of poverty. It’s meant to be a piece of your income during those periods, but shouldn’t be a significant percentage.
The easiest way to think of Social Security is they are just an insurance company, like your car insurance. The way you pay your premiums is through your tax contributions from your work. If you are a W-2 employee you pay half the tax burden, and your employer pays the other half. If you are self-employed or a 1099 worker the total tax burden is on the worker to pay.
When you file your taxes with the IRS, they will eventually send your wage information to the Social Security. It’s for this reason that, depending on when you were born, Social Security would send you an earnings statement. The purpose of the statement is your you to verify the wages were recorded correctly so that if/when the time came to utilize Social Security you know you are being paid correctly
Believe it or not, there is more than just one Social Security calculator available online! Different companies may offer these free tools, but be careful. They may not have the depth of knowledge and expertise that a representative from Social Benefit Advisors does.
We use the calculators provided by the Social Security Administration itself to help determine our estimates for your benefits. This ensures that we’re using the most accurate tools. However, if you feel like you aren’t getting enough, one of our representatives will be happy to review your claim, and help you appeal if necessary.
To keep it simplified, your retirement benefits are calculated using your highest 35 years of work. If you have worked more than that, then anything outside of your highest 35 years will not be counted in the computation of your benefits.
For disability purposes, it works in a similar way but depending on your age, how many years of Social Security contributions you have, as well as how much you’ve contributed would determine your benefit. As an example if you are a much younger person, say in your late 20’s or early 30’s there basically a curve on your record to account for missed wages because of your disability.
If you are receiving survivors benefits from someone else’s record like a spouse, there are a number of things that can come into play but the benefit is based on the deceased workers wage history, their age, if they filed for benefits before they passed, what type of benefit they filed for and maybe how old they were at that time, as well as your age and a few other details. Survivors benefits are arguably one of the most complex benefits Social Security has.
Getting started is easy! Call us (803) 526-7951 or schedule an appointment online to request additional information and speak directly with one of our professionals. Because Social Security is a federal agency we can provide assistance anywhere in the country, so it doesn’t matter where you are located.
We often get asked “is there anything I haven’t asked?”. Basically, what clients are trying to ask with this is “have I told you everything you need to know about myself, to understand what I am eligible for?” Yes, that’s exactly what we try to do. During the initial free consultation our representative will ask you all the key questions they need to provide you with the correct assessment of benefits.
We will contact Social Security and complete our comprehensive processing questionnaire with the agency, from there we will compare the information gathered and provide you with our recommendations based on your scenario
Retirement
For retirement benefits that can vary depending on your financial situation, your retirement plan and mainly if you are still working. If let’s say you met all the criteria needed to be able to file, you could do everything about a month before you’d like to start getting a payment. Social Security Administration – Retirement Benefits
Survivors
Survivors benefits are more complexed and you may have more options if you qualify for these benefits. In some cases you could be widowed more than once, which would give you even more options. There are thousands of different scenarios and everyone’s can be different. It’s very important you understand the options you have before initiating an application. Social Security Administration – Survivors
Disability
If you have no other disability policies that prevent you from doing so, I would recommend filing for disability as soon as you have a diagnosis for a condition that is expected to be greater than 12 months and keep you from working. If you do have another disability insurance, whether short-term or long-term, you should consult with them in regards to Social Security Disability and if it could affect anything. Social Security Administration – Disability
PREVIOUS CLAIM ANALYSIS
Sometimes, the SSA will deny a claim for benefits, even if you think you’re entitled to them. Perhaps you didn’t fill out the right form, or maybe you did not send it on time. The team at Social Benefits Advisors can review past claims and re-submit them on your behalf. We’ll look at how your situation has changed, or if you’ve had any life changes that would entitle you to new benefits.
When you’re reviewing a claim or asking the SSA to review it, it’s important to work with an experienced analyst instead of trying to do it yourself or buying a “software solution.” You need someone who understands the different regulations of the SSA for each type of benefit, as well as when it’s best to apply, so that you don’t jeopardize other benefits you’re entitled to.
Perhaps you appealed for SSDI benefits, which you may be entitled to since you cannot work. However, your claim was denied. We can help you collect the correct documentation to support your claim, working one-on-one with you. Sometimes, regulations can change, and you need to be able to take advantage of changes to the SSDI requirements.
Or, perhaps your marital situation changed, and you need to revise your SSI accordingly. We can help with that, too. Just because your claim was denied, doesn’t mean that you can appeal. The process is cumbersome and many people get confused during the process. That’s why you need a professional advisor to help you. We’ll look at your previous claim, determine why it was reduced or denied, and then help you correct any mistakes or add any supporting evidence.
For example, we may file a Request For Reconsideration on your behalf. If that’s denied, we can then file a Request for a Hearing by an Administrative Law Judge with the SSA. There are several options to help have your claim reviewed by the SSA, up to and including litigation. But, these are complex matters, and many people require help. Some of our clients did not know there are multiple options if a claim is rejected.
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