I hear you Patti....the stuff you learn from other people may not be 'factual', but the experiences that we share with them are real learning experiences. My DD became friends with a Japanese-Korean student last year while living in a 'boarding house' and it is surprising(?) how our university systems sort of take advantage of those $$$$ our foreign guests pay out to attend our schools. I assumed (THAT word) that we took their money and treated them better than we do. The student is a sweetheart, and has really paid her way without the kind if "exchange" student support like meeting American families and seeing the real environment outside of the university. She graduates next month and goes back to Japan and I hope that her total experience will have been memorable. DD has made a dear friend...I hope forever friend.

Glenda, Social security is only taxable if your income is over $25000 ( that's for single filer). If your income is over, part of the S S would be taxable.

Go see your Social Security Office. You'll should call and make and appointment first. As other posters have said, the rules are many. If you have also worked and paid social security taxes, that will be considered. Basically, the amount you might get is computed in several ways and then the maximum benefit one is used. The various cases may be (1) your wages and lifetime contribution alone, ( 2) 50% of your spouce's amount, or (3) if disabled, the disabled amount. If you were born after a certain date, the full retirement age is increased above 65. At one time, the full retirement age was to increase in steps from 65 to 67. I have been retired long enough to have lost track of the current rules. If you are elgible at age 65 for full retirement, you can take early retirement (as early as 62) with a reduction in payments. The reduction is based on the average life expectancy. When I retired, life expectancy was age 77, e.g., half of your population group will have expired by age 77. The reduction works out to be 5/9 percent per month early, thus if you retire 3 years early, the reduction is (36 months x .05)/9 or 0.20 which is 20%. Is this bad? It depends on how long you will live. If you do not expect to live beyond 77, then early retirement is not a loss. You loose only if you live beyond 77. Here's why. If you retired at the normal age of 65, then the time span to 77 is 12 years; if retired at age 62, the time span to 77 is 15 years. Check it out. You'll find that the total money paid out over the longer time is exactly the same as that of the shorter span. For example, suppose the normal payout was $100 per month. The amount for 12 years is 12 x 12 x 100 = 14,400. Now suppose that you retired 3 years early. The payout is $80 per month. The amount for 15 years is 15 x 12 x 80 = 14,400. After age 77, the early payout plan is less than the other and the difference increases each year. Since I retired, life expectancy may have increased to 78 years. These calculations give amounts based on the current value of the dollar. As time goes by, there are COLA increases that will increase the payout to offset inflation to some degree. In my experience, the SS cost increase numbers do not fully cover the real inflation of the basics.

I did all my application for SS this last time via phone. They set up a phone appt with me and THEY CALLED ME! I had called them in response to a letter I got, waited a really long time on hold- like 45 min or longer to talk to someone, who actually couldn't help me; her only job was to make a phone appointment for someone to call me back who could help me. I had to wait weeks to get a phone appt because they make so many phone calls! Social Security DOES make phone calls! I think what you mean is they don't initiate things the first time, via phone. You won't get a cold call from SS asking for something about your account. But they most definitely will conduct business with you via phone and they will call you! I was told I could also go for an in person appt at my local office, but if I remember correctly, she couldn't make me an appt there, only for a phone appt. If I wanted in-person, I had to stop by the office and make one myself. This all happened within the last 6 months. I think your woman just works in another division and not the phone appointment department and maybe is unaware that SS does make phone calls to you!