Social Security is a major source of income for 74.5M Americans. How far does your check go? See averages by age and gender, how its calculated and making the most of your money. Updated for 2025.

We adhere to strict standards of editorial integrity to help you make decisions with confidence. Some or all links contained within this article are paid links. The average American is likely to have ...

Many retirees across the United States are discovering that they may be eligible to boost their monthly income by as much as $400 — a significant relief amid ...

I’m a widow in my early 40s with three children. My youngest is a special-needs child still in school, my second is finishing high school and my oldest is in nursing school. I work full-time and I’m ...

Dear Help Me Retire, I have a question about collecting survivor benefits. My ex-spouse of 20 years recently passed away in an accident. We were divorced for about one year before ...

Social Security allows a lower-earning spouse to claim benefits on a higher-earning spouse's work record. If you're divorced, you have an advantage when it comes to claiming because you don't have to ...

Inflation has regained momentum since President Trump started imposing tariffs earlier this year. The Senior Citizens League has raised its forecast for Social Security's 2026 COLA for five straight ...

Monthly Social Security and Supplemental Security Income payments for individuals with disabilities are likely to increase next year, a new projection shows. Benefits are expected to jump 2.7% ...

Millions of Americans who rely on Social Security are set to receive their next payment this week. The Social Security Administration (SSA) issues monthly benefits to more than 70 million people ...

Social Security was created 90 years ago as a means of helping seniors stay out of poverty. Today, all these years later, many seniors still rely on these benefits as a crucial source of income during ...