The other morning when my brother Steve texted to let me know my nephew (his son Stevie) was getting married, and I asked how old is Stevie now and Steve said he turned 40 in September... weren't we all 40 just a few years ago?
Thinking back to 2001 when I turned 40, I headed into my kitchen and looked through the junk drawer and there it was--the pin I bought for the lapel of my coat, after the events of 9-11-01. I remember that day like it was only a couple years ago, I'm sure many of you can say the same. I was sent home early from work that day, as downtown Pittsburgh was ordered evacuated. I got a ride with my ex's mother (who saw me standing at my bus stop and honked at me to get in, then yelled all the way home about our military, President Bush and trash tv).
I spent that entire day glued to my tv, watching the same events play out over & over. I can even remember what I had for dinner, leftover spareribs from Sunday. A day or two later I was headed to work and saw these flag pins at a newsstand I passed on my way to the office, and bought one for my jacket.
I don't know why I'm sharing all of this, I just can't believe how quickly the years have passed since I was 40. I want to tell my nephew "you're going to be 64 before you know it".
Speaking of 64, last Saturday (November 1, the day after my 64th birthday) I was sitting here watching an awful documentary about Bigfoot, and thought "Well it's as good a time as any to apply for Social Security" so I went online to my SSA account.
On my recent statement it said "At age 64 years your monthly payment is estimated to be $1913.00." Sounded good to me, so I began the application. There were a LOT of questions, but nothing too difficult or complicated.
After I gulped and hit submit, I received an auto-generated email that said I should be hearing back from them after 30 days. It added my reviewer would reach out by telephone or mail with additional questions, and they often do this on weekends or after business hours.
Curious, I jumped on earlyretirement.org and a social security reddit board, and was dismayed at what I was finding. A lot of people complaining their applications were on hold for months (for faulty or mismatched information) or outright denied.
One man neglected to report his first marriage as a teen, people failed to report children they hadn't seen since childbirth, some people attempted to file too early or mistakenly filed for disability, etc.
A retired social security administrator said it took on average 90 days to review an application, not 30. And this was before the recent government shutdown, so I figured I had a wait.
Assuming they were requesting additional documents (like my drivers license or birth certificate) I went to the SSA site, signed in and saw "Your application is approved." And below that:
This only took a week, I guess you can't believe everything you read. As I requested my payments begin in January, they start one month after your request date.
The amount will drop some when I turn 65 and Medicare kicks in, but that's not for 10-11 months.
I still can't believe this is really happening. I know I earned it but still... I'm waiting for a follow-up that says they grossly overestimated my monthly amount, or I've been declared an anti-Trumpist and being deported instead. We'll see!
'Well, congratulations, Doug. That is quite the positive story about your adventure with SS. At the age of (almost) 83, I've been getting my benefits for almost twenty years.
ReplyDeleteThank you DJan, and that's wonderful about your own SS. I watched my parents pass before either could collect theirs, so I'm glad to know there are good people out there that have been collecting for years.
DeleteCongrats Doug! Major milestone for you! My hairdresser always worked "under the table", reporting very little of her earned income. She is 62 now, and discouraged by the low payment she receives from SS. I worry about my young nieces, wondering if SS will be here for them when they retire. Grateful for financial stability at this point in my life, and I imagine you are too!
ReplyDeleteCarole
Thanks Carole and I know exactly what you mean, I too know someone who's worked mostly under the table and is now close to retirement. It is a tough world out there for sure, and you're right I feel very fortunate. I sure hope SS is around for your nieces and mine...
DeleteWell done my friend
ReplyDeleteIt really shows how fast time flies one minute you’re turning 40, and suddenly you’re applying for Social Security. I liked how you connected your memories of 9/11 with today, it made everything feel real and close. It’s nice that your application went smoothly, especially after reading so many bad stories online. You truly deserve the benefits after working so long. Life sure moves fast, doesn’t it?!
Asep, you're always so kind and polite, thank you. And yes time flies way too fast! 🙂
DeleteGood for you, Doug, getting this all set up before the new year. When you turn 65 you will be so glad you opted in early for social security. The medicare benefit will just kick in automatically and you won't have to do anything. Just be prepared for the medicare payment to come out of that $1940 before your check gets automatically deposited. And yes, since you are no longer working, taking social security right now is a very good thing.
ReplyDeleteThanks dkzody, much appreciated. I originally planned to take it at 62, but decided to wait until the amount was enough to cover my bills and Medicare too. 🙂
DeleteIt's been a while since I applied, but I had nothing but appreciation and admiration for everyone I dealt with regarding SS, both on-line and in person. They were kind, helpful and efficient. I'm so glad that you'll get that money! It makes for a more relaxed financial situation. When I changed from my late husband's to mine, it was $1000 more and that came in handy!
ReplyDeleteSometimes I feel like I'm still 40. LOL
Thanks for sharing this wonderful comment Margaret, and congratulations on your new grandson!! PS You seem like 40 to me a lot of the time too :^)
Delete"Weren't we all 40 just a few years ago?" Yes, 40 years ago, DH and I were 40! (and those years went fast... still flying by) But I am glad you applied for your SS. It's a big help and yes, you did earn it. There are so many that wait... and unfortunately never get a chance to use it. SS and Medicare help take care of us as we age... and IMO taking care of a country's elderly population means a lot. : )
ReplyDeleteRian I'm very glad to hear from you, I didn't know if I should expect to given your eye situation. I sure hope you're doing okay. My friend Evie is getting cataract surgery this week. Anyway, thank you for what you shared here and sometimes I can't believe you're the age you are, you're so fun in spirit. I sure am glad we're friends. :^)
DeleteI turned 40 40 years ago. It doesn’t seem like yesterday.
ReplyDeleteI remember 9-11 (or 11-9 as it is in these parts). It was late in the evening. I had left the TV on with the sound off and went into the backroom (where my computer – desktop – was) and after some considerable time I wandered back to the living room. It was about 11 o’clock at night. There was this strange program on: New York with one of the World Trade Centre towers ablaze. I turned on the sound and kept watching and saw the plane hit the other one.
I tried to phone my sister as my brother-in-law was due to fly to New York that day. All the lines were busy.
I tried this newfangled email thingy and got through. I found that he hadn’t left after all. Whew.
It’s incredible (I’d have said a miracle if I believed in such things) that your application was so seamless and, even more remarkable, so prompt. Well done.
Thanks for sharing Music Man, it's interesting how many people outside of the US have memories of that day... I'm glad none of your loved ones were affected! As for my SS application, I'm not a religious person either but I'd still say it was a miracle--6 days for everything to process and during a Fed govt shutdown to boot. Hmm!
DeleteTim and I did not initially apply for the benefits. We applied for Medicare. Tim's application was processed immediately. Mine hung up for weeks. When I finally got through to someone, she was extremely rude, and complained that I hadn't filled out any of the questions. I told her I had, she told me she was looking at it. I just shut up because I had been on hold for hours only to be cut off. Long story short, she began asking questions. I said that I was not sure what that had to do with things. She snapped, "how do you think we determine your benefits. I said that I was trying to start Medicare, that we were deferring payments. Long pause. They had made a mistake. She was not quite as rude after that point, but she sure was not sweet.
ReplyDeleteMy goodness... Deb I sure am sorry you went thru all that. But from the stories I read from others, you were not alone. I guess I lucked out, thank you for sharing. I hope you're all good now!
DeleteI felt the same way when my husband retired. I know we both worked since we were teenagers and watched monies be deposited or withheld. But did we really think it would be there when we retired?
ReplyDeleteWe heard applying for retirement with his employment was difficult. We attended a retirement seminar (prior to covid) almost a year in advance. We paid attention and made an appointment to fill out all the paperwork in person. And brought all the documents needed with us. I think if you follow directions and submit all the requested paperwork, and take it seriously, it goes much better.
The funny part was after the first presentation, there was a brief break with donuts and then a representative from the health insurance company who provides a special policy for retired union members spoke. Most of the room left after donuts and did not stay for her presentation. That was EXTREMELY helpful for us since we had not clue about Plan A, Plan B, Plan C, Plan D and whatever else they keep adding. (we have Plan F but don't ask, it' complicated). It was invaluable to ask questions in person and get the right answers, as well as listening to others ask questions I hadn't thought of.
We still can't believe we are getting paid to stay home, lol. And we did a lot of financial preparation in advance so we would be in a good position and we can't believe it worked. We feel like we have the golden ticket!!!! Welcome to the club!!!
On September 11 I was in a meeting in our office building. Someone came in from another department and said they had a tv in their breakroom if anyone wanted to come over. We had no clue what she was talking about. After the meeting I went back to my desk and turned on my radio. I listened to live coverage the rest of the day. And I went home at 5 and watched it all over again on tv.
One thing I remember is a short live segment of a group of New Yorkers who had gotten 4 x 8 sheets of plywood from someplace and were lined up by a line of firefighters ready to use them as stretchers for wounded. They were mostly men, some in suits, some in jeans, and they all waited but there were no wounded or survivors.
Miss Merry thanks for sharing and I'm glad things worked out for you & Tim! To be honest, I've been familiar with all the Medicare plans for many years as my job with UPMC Health Plan involved govt pricing for Medicare & Medicaid for many years. I'd love to get on Plan F but that's limited to people who were 65 by 2020.. Plan G is very similar though. As for Sept 11, I'm surrprised you had to stay at work that day. I just assumed everyone went home that day.
DeleteHi Doug, so many interesting comments! I am so glad you will be receiving such a good amount of SS every month.The system in the US is a bit different then here in Canada. We get CPP, Canada Pension Plan, provided you have paid into it, OAS, Old Age Security, and then there is another pension if your income is under I think $22,000 a year. Chuck had to apply for three different pensions (CPP, OAS and his pension from his last job of ten years) in the last couple months and it has gone well.
ReplyDeleteGoodness, 9/11. We lived in Nova Scotia then. I was in the kitchen baking and had turned on our little kitchen tv to watch Martha Stewart. Then it all began to unfold. I watched horrified as we saw the second tower come crashing down. Chuck was at work at the Base a couple towns away but everyone spent the day there watching it all happen on a tv. So terrible.
Have a good day!❤️
Robin
Hi Robin, thanks very much for sharing, it's interesting to hear this from a Canadians perspective. Is Chuck getting money from all those sources? To be honest, I'm surprised how low social security often is in the US. I feel fortunate mines at 1940, given my leaving the workforce in 2015. Anyway, liked your memory of 9/11 too. Hope your day is a good one my friend. ❤️
DeleteHi Doug, Chuck will get CPP, OAS and his latest job pension when he turns 65 next month. He already gets a military pension and a disability pension from the military. Our day is going well, just raked up eight bags of leaves amongst snow!😁
DeleteRobin that's incredible, good for you guys--I feel like a pauper in comparison! As for the snow, oh boy! We had flurries the day before yesterday but that's it. Please say hi to Chuck for me :^)
DeleteWell, now that the shutdown has ended, I expect more good things to come. Congratulations for joining us fellow SS recipients.
ReplyDeleteThank you Queen Gigi 🙂
DeleteIm glad it went well for you! Now just sit back and enjoy. Oh, and I’m glad it’s enough for you to live on, 😅. Joyce
ReplyDeleteThanks Joyce! Wellll... My rent and utilities add up to $1,100, the rest should cover my food bill and health insurance. Let's just say I'm glad I have my retirement account for everything else. 🙂👍
DeleteI hope that you are budgeting for the loss of Obamacare subsidies. Most people on Obamacare are seeing their premiums double. It sounds like the Social Security came at the right time. DavidH
ReplyDeleteDavid it's actually the loss of extended subsidies (the original subsidies still remain) but you're right, my monthly premium went up $100. I'm good, but I worry for the less fortunate. It's still costing me less than what Medicare will when I turn 65.
DeleteApplying for Social Security was a very easy and positive experience for me, too. My sitiuation was pretty straightforward, which I think goes a long way.
ReplyDeleteAs for 9/11, I was working on the 20th floor of a downtown Pgh building; we watched it on TV in shock and horror. A work colleague took a cell phone call from a close friend who was on the plane, and he explained that a group of people were going to fight back. So when I hear people talk about it being a fake/conspiracy, it kind of makes my head explode. Our office closed down and I hopped on a bus toward home, but it never moved even an inch, just sat in gridlock. So a few people asked the driver to let us out of the bus, and I walked to a friend's store in Oakland. Horrifying day.
Nina
Nina--wow! Thank you for sharing! So you were downtown Pgh too, yes I remember those buses not going anywhere. I can't believe you heard from someone on that plane who decided to fight back, my sister and her husband visited the memorial a couple months ago. 😔
DeleteI'm pretty sure that 9/11 was a horrifying day for anyone who had access to a television or radio that day no matter where one lived. I remember one of my co-workers came to work and said a plane had hit one of the towers. I recall I asked him what he smoked for breakfast, I was certain he was trying to be funny. When he said it was true, I thought maybe it was a small Cessna but no it was a large liner. Of course, very little training happened that day - I brought my clock radio to class and had it sitting on the window beside me. When we broke for coffee we were in the restaurant and watched the second plane hit. Unlike you, I don't remember what aI had for dinner, but I certainly recall the overwhelming sadness of watching the towers fall and the stream of people making their way out of the area. Air travel was never the same after that day.
ReplyDeleteCongrats on your SS payments. You had, what I'm certain would be called, a clean file. No undisclosed family members, and an uninterrupted work history would go a long way to making it easy to review and approve.
Thanks very much for sharing Maebeme, this is interesting. The morning that first plane hit, I was going outside for a smoke and our receptionist (who had a radio on her desk) told me about that first plane and I said "Millie, it was probably a little plane that clipped it's wing on it." She said you're probably right. When I came back upstairs. her eyes were wide and she told me about the second plane. That's when I knew we were in trouble. Watching those buildings come down was like a very bad dream.
DeleteI am glad your signing in to get social security went smoothly. It went smoothly for me too. I retired at 64 also. Medicare is working nicely for me. I love being retired, more time for fun things: family, reading, gardening, church, walking my pup, etc. Enjoy.
ReplyDeleteThis was a nice read, just what I wanted to hear. Thank you Terra, I hope I hear from you again when I post about Medicare. 🙂
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