User:Whaleknives/Tools and calculators

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Social Security Administration
The Social Security Administration maintains several benefit calculators to estimate your potential benefit amounts using different retirement dates and levels of future earnings. In general,
 * If your entry for current earnings is greater than zero, it will be used to estimate annual future earnings.
 * All earnings are indexed to the national average wage index (AWI). Future earnings are indexed with estimated cost-of-living adjustments (COLAs) and increases in the AWI. Earnings are indexed only to age 60 (two years prior to the year of first eligibility, 62); later earnings are used at face value.
 * The closer you are to retirement, with a longer work history and fewer future changes, the more accurate your estimates will be.

Notes:

1Estimates past earnings from current with a national average wage index, modified by a relative growth factor. Past earnings can be adjusted by changing the growth factor or editing the annual numbers, but you cannot project future earning changes.

2Javascript must be enabled.

3Recommended by Social Security. You must have enough credits to qualify for benefits, and you cannot be currently receiving a benefit based on your own earnings record. You cannot be currently receiving benefits on your own Social Security record, waiting for a decision about your Social Security or Medicare application, age 62 or older and receiving benefits on another Social Security record, or fall under the Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP).

4Recommended by Social Security. Windows 7 or Mac 10.6 (but not later) operating system is required.

The calculators are listed below in order of increasing accuracy and complexity.


 * Quick Calculator gives a rough online estimate from your date of birth and a single number for current annual earnings. It estimates past earnings from a national average wage index, modified by a relative growth factor. You can adjust past earnings by changing the growth factor or editing the annual earning numbers, but you cannot project future earning changes. It does not calculate reduced benefits if you fall under the Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP).


 * Online Calculator uses your date of birth, a manually entered earnings history by year, and a single entry for future annual earnings (including zero). Javascript must be enabled. If you fall under the Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP), use the Online Calculator (WEP Version). Social Security comments "for the most accurate estimates, use the Detailed Calculator or the Retirement Estimator."


 * Retirement Estimator accesses your actual Social Security earnings record through a secure online interface, and allows you to adjust the future annual earnings number by selecting  after your first calculation. You must have enough credits to qualify for benefits. It does not calculate reduced benefits if you fall under the Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP). It cannot be used if you are currently receiving a benefit based on your own earnings record.


 * Detailed Calculator (AnyPIA) provides the most flexibility and accuracy by using a manually entered earnings history and permitting annual changes in projected future earnings. A Windows 7 or Mac 10.6 (but not later) operating system is required. The program must be downloaded and installed on your computer.