Obtaining Your Social Security Benefit Information
Need help getting your Social Security benefit information but don't know where to turn? You're not alone. See the instructions below for tips and tricks on getting the information you need.
If you're going to have us run an analysis report for you, the first method - Obtaining a Statement Online - is by far the preferred and most accurate method. But if you run into problems, try the alternatives, or give us a call for help.
Good luck!
Preferred Method: Obtaining Your Statement Online
STEP 1: Go to the SSA website
Click this link to go to the SSA website: www.ssa.gov/myaccount.
STEP 2: Sign in or create an account
Click the "Sign In or Create an Account" button.
If you already have an account, click the link to log in. If you do not already have an account, click the "Create Account" button and follow the instructions to establish a login with SSA.
Quick Tip: Creating a new account? Proceed with caution!
If you need to create a new account, SSA will require you to answer a few security screening questions. These questions come from your public records and are sometimes obscure or misleading and it is common for people to have problems with them. If you get a question wrong, you will be locked out for 24 hours. If you get a question wrong on the next try, you will be locked out permanently and will have to go to the local Social Security office in person to get your account unlocked. Not fun!
In other words, don't wait until the last minute to do this because you might end up with an unexpected - and unwelcome - delay.
STEP 3: Print or save your statement
Once you are logged in, click on the "Print / Save Your Full Statement" link near the bottom of the page. If you don't see the link, make sure you're on the "Home/Overview" tab.
Alternative 1: Obtaining Your Earnings History in Person
STEP 1: Schedule an appointment
It's usually a good idea to call ahead and schedule an appointment with the Social Security office. Call your local office directly (see contact information below), or call the national hotline at 1-800-772-1213.
Quick tip: Prepare yourself - know what to say
If you walk into the local office and proudly declare, "I'd like to get a copy of my Social Security Statement," they'll proudly decline your request and send you away because they're not set up to provide that service. Before you go in, give us a call or send us an email so we can give you instructions on exactly what to ask for and how to respond if you encounter any resistance.
STEP 2: Go get it
See the list below for the addresses and phone numbers of the offices in Northern Colorado. If you're looking for an office somewhere else, visit the Social Security Office Locator page to find the closest office by zip code.
Alternative 2: Obtaining Your Estimated Retirement Benefits Online
Instead of a full earnings history, this method provides you with the monthly benefit amounts available to you at certain ages. This is the least-accurate way to run a Social Security Analysis report, but it is better than nothing. We only recommend using this method if all else has failed.
STEP 1: Go to the Retirement Estimator
Click here to open the Retirement Estimator page on SSA.gov.
STEP 2: Fill it in
Fill in and verify your information and click the "Submit" button.
STEP 3: Enter last year's earnings
Enter last year's earnings when prompted, and click the "Next" button.
STEP 4: Bingo!
After you've completed the above steps, you will get an estimate of your benefits at three ages - 62, Full Retirement Age (66-67), and 70. You can also add custom ages if you'd like to know what your benefit would be at a different age. If you are having us run a Social Security Analysis report, send us these figures.