Is there ANY way to make sure you are getting ALL the SS benefit you & your employer paid into. when I went to the Pre- SS interview, a Gentleman gave me my expected benefits, that was the preceding November, when I went for the actual interview a woman told me what I was to receive BUT it was a lot LESS, so I asked to see the Gentleman, I was denied that & told this was it, good bye. I left and a week later contacted my Congresswoman, she said she would look into it & NEVER got back to me, same with my Assembly person. I gave up, BUT it's bothered me all these years. when I saw your article in Bottom Line Personal, well it prompted me to write. Larry it's little enough now but if there is a way to get my RIGHTFUL amount I would be very grateful, I thank you in advance.

Hi,

I understand your concern, but I can promise you based on my 36 years of experience working for Social Security that both the earnings histories maintained by Social Security and the benefit rate calculations based on those earnings histories are very reliable. Obviously, errors do occur, but they are definitely the exception and not the rule.

What's much more likely is that one of the representatives with whom you spoke was mistaken when they gave you a benefit estimate. That can happen for a variety of reasons, with lack of experience and proper training being the main culprit. Once you file a claim and your claim is processed, though, I would be very confident that your resulting benefit rate is correct.

All of that said, it's always a good idea to check your Social Security earnings history every 3 years to make sure that your earnings have been properly recorded. You can view your Social Security earnings record by establishing a 'My Social Security' account on Social Security's website: https://www.ssa.gov/myaccount/. If you do find any errors you can then ask Social Security to correct their records, but you will likely need to submit evidence such as a W-2 form or a copy of your tax return.

Once you have access to your earnings history you could use that data to obtain an accurate estimate of your benefit rate using our maximization software. Our software uses the same calculation formula used by Social Security, so we believe that it will give you the most accurate possible results. The software will also allow you to explore and compare your filing options in order to determine your best strategy.

Best, Jerry