The basic types of social security benefits which are provided are: retirement, survivorship, disability, and medical. I am only dealing with the retirement part of social security here. The amount you receive in social security retirement benefits is based on your average earnings during your lifetime. Up to a point, the more you earn, the more you collect. You can check your earnings by sending form SSA-7004PC (this was the form the last time I checked) into the Social Security Administration. You can pick it up at your local post office or Social Security Administration office. The Social Security Administration will send you back a statement of total wages and self employment income. You should check with the Social Security Administration every 3 years to confirm that your record is complete and accurate. It is important to correct any inaccuracies.

You are eligible to collect benefits if you are 'Fully Insured'. The government defines fully insured as a person who has at least 40 calendar quarters of coverage (10 full years of work). A quarter is defined as a period of three calendar months ending March 31, June 30, September 30, and December 31, of any single year. For a person approaching their retirement years, the Social Security Administration will provide an estimate of monthly benefits.

You should apply for Social Security two to three months prior to the date you expect to begin benefits. If everything goes smoothly, you won't have to wait for a check. However, be prepared for problems. A very good friend of mine who also worked for me applied for retirement benefits. Apparently, one little mistake was made by someone at the Social Security office. It took him about four months and numerous letters to straighten out the problem and begin receiving checks. Once you get into the Social Security bureaucratic mix-up department it takes a long time to get out of it.

You apply for Social Security retirement benefits by going to the local Social Security Administration office. You must prove your age. Therefore, bring a copy of your birth certificate, hospital birth record, or even a Baptismal certificate.

You may begin collecting social security at age 62 as long as you're fully insured. However, and this is important, the longer you postpone receiving those benefits, the more you will get. This will only work up until the age of 72. Most people are better off waiting until they are 65 to collect Social Security benefits. And after age 65, your benefits can increase about 7% for every year you delay. Keep in mind that delaying the benefits only makes sense if you live to age 78 or higher. Fortunately, in today's world, most of us will. Collecting benefits at age 62 means that you will not get the full amount. There is a reduction until you hit full retirement age. For someone born in 1955, the full retirement age is 66 years and 2 months. For someone born after 1960, full retirement age is 67 years.

You can lose social security benefits after you begin collecting if the amount of adjusted gross income is above a certain amount. Check with the Social Security Administration for the amount. It changes periodically. Additionally, part of your social security benefits will be taxed if your adjusted gross income is above a certain amount. Check with the Social Security Administration for these amounts. They change periodically.

If you die while collecting retirement benefits, and your spouse is over age 60, this person is entitled to survivor benefits. If the spouse is under age 60 but caring for a child under age 16, this spouse would also be entitled to survivor benefits. Your surviving children are also entitled to benefits if they are under ages 18 (19 if a full time student).