Social Security serves as a key source of income for countless retirees and disabled individuals. It's also an extremely complex program loaded with rules and terminology. If you're attempting to learn about Social Security (which is something you should do, regardless of how old you happen to be), here are a few key terms you'll need to understand.
1. OASDI
OASDI stands for old age, survivors, and disability insurance, and in the context of your paycheck, it's the tax used to fund the Social Security program. The current OASDI tax rate is 12.4%. If you work for an outside company, you'll lose half that amount of your earnings up to a certain income limit, while your employer will pay the remaining 6.2%. If you're self-employed, however, you'll pay the full 12.4% up front.
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2. SSI
SSI stands for supplemental security income, and it's different from OASDI in that it's a program funded by general tax revenues, not Social Security taxes. SSI is designed to help those who are over 65, blind, or disabled with limited financial resources keep up with their basic needs.
3. FICA Tax
FICA stands for the Federal Insurance Contributions Act. It's the tax that's withheld from your salary or self-employment income that funds both Social Security and Medicare. For the current year, FICA tax equals 15.3% of earned income up to $127,200 (12.4% for Social Security and 2.9% for Medicare), but those making above $127,200 will continue to pay 2.9% FICA tax on income exceeding that threshold. In 2018, the earnings cap will rise to $128,700.
4. Social Security credits
In order to collect Social Security benefits, you must earn enough credits during your working years. In 2017, you'll receive one credit for every $1,300 in earnings, up to a maximum of four credits per year. For 2018, the value of a single credit will rise to $1,320 of earnings. Those born in 1929 or later need 40 credits to qualify for benefits in retirement.
5. AIME
AIME stands for average indexed monthly earnings, and it's used to calculate your personal Social Security benefit. The amount you receive from Social Security is based on your highest 35 years of earnings. To arrive at your AIME, your past earnings are adjusted for inflation so that they don't lose value.
6. Full retirement age
Your full retirement age, or FRA, is the age at which you're eligible to collect your Social Security benefits in full. FRA is based on your year of birth, and for today's older workers, it's 66, 67, or 66 and a number of months. Though you're allowed to claim benefits prior to reaching FRA (the earliest age is 62), doing so will cause you to collect a reduced benefit amount -- permanently.
7. Delayed retirement credits
Though waiting until full retirement age will ensure that you collect your benefits in full, if you hold off on filing for Social Security past FRA, you'll rack up delayed retirement credits that will boost your benefits. Specifically, for each year you wait, you'll get an 8% increase in your payments. Delayed retirement credits stop accruing at age 70, so that's typically considered the latest age to file for Social Security (even though you can technically wait even longer than that).
8. Trust Fund
The Social Security Trust Fund was established in the early 1980s to cover any future shortfalls the program might face. If Social Security has a year in which it collects more taxes than it needs to use, that money is placed in the Trust Fund and invested in special Treasury bonds. Once Social Security's incoming tax revenue fails to cover its scheduled benefits, the Trust Fund will be tapped to make up the difference. Come 2034, however, the Trust Fund is expected to run out of money, at which time future recipients might face a reduction in benefits.
9. COLA
No, we're not talking about a soft drink. In the context of Social Security, it stands for cost-of-living adjustment, and it's designed to help beneficiaries retain their purchasing power in the face of inflation. Back in the day, those who collected Social Security received the same benefit amount year after year. But beginning in 1975, beneficiaries have been eligible for automatic COLAs based heavily on fluctuations in the Consumer Price Index. COLAs are not guaranteed, however. If consumer prices don't climb in a given year, benefits can remain stagnant. Such was the case as recently as 2016.
10. Survivors benefits
Survivors benefits are designed to provide income for your beneficiaries once you pass. Those benefits are based on your earnings records and the age at which you first file for Social Security. Surviving spouses, children, and even parents of deceased workers are eligible for survivors benefits.
Clearly, there's a lot to learn about Social Security, but familiarizing yourself with these key terms will help you better understand how the program works. It also pays to read up on ways to maximize your benefits so that you end up getting the best possible payout you're entitled to.
