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Social Security 101

Social Security 101
To get Social Security retirement benefits, you must be 'insured,' and you must be at least 62 years old. OlegRi/Shutterstock
Tom Margenau
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Sometimes this column can get into some complicated or esoteric Social Security rules or circumstances. But it dawned on me that many of the emails I get from readers are asking questions about some pretty basic Social Security stuff. So this week’s column will be like a refresher course in Social Security. I will just go over the basic rules for various kinds of Social Security benefits.

But I will only scratch the surface of these basic rules. For more information, you'll need to read my little Social Security guidebook. Instructions for getting that book are at the end of this column.

Retirement Benefits

To get Social Security retirement benefits, you must be “insured,” and you must be at least 62 years old. Being insured means you have a minimum of 40 credits (sometimes called “quarters”). Because you can only earn four credits per year, that means you must have worked and paid Social Security taxes for 10 or more years to qualify for benefits.
Tom Margenau
Tom Margenau
Author
Tom Margenau worked for 32 years in a variety of positions for the Social Security Administration before retiring in 2005. He has served as the director of SSA’s public information office, the chief editor of more than 100 SSA publications, a deputy press officer and spokesman, and a speechwriter for the commissioner of Social Security. For 12 years, he also wrote Social Security columns for local newspapers, and recently published the book “Social Security: Simple and Smart.” If you have a Social Security question, contact him at [email protected]
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