How well do you understand Social Security and how benefits work? Today, more than half of all retirees depend on Social Security for their essential retirement income needs, yet too few understand how to maximize their benefits. Social Security is an enormous and complex program that pays out roughly $90 billion a month to beneficiaries, including more than 64 million retirees.

With 4 in 5 of those polled by AARP expecting to rely on Social Security for their retirement, it is critical to plan accordingly. It is time to understand how benefits are calculated, how to optimize your benefits, common costly mistakes to avoid, and misconceptions about the program. Terri McGray, CFP, AIF has been helping individuals transition to and through retirement for over 30 years. Her expertise has helped thousands boost their benefits and learn how to integrate Social Security into their total retirement plan.

Learning Objectives:

• Recognize the current and future state of the Social Security program


• Define what is full retirement age for individuals


• Evaluate options for working in retirement


• Summarize spousal and ex spousal benefits 


• Identify death benefits


• Differentiate the facts and myths about Social Security