Social Security benefits are not intended to meet all financial needs. When one retires, other income, such as savings or a pension, will also be needed. Social Security is a protection to add to other financial plans and investments made during one's working years. You should carefully review the benefit estimates on your Social Security statement or learn how much is coming from Social Security, to better assess current and future financial needs. What happens when you retire People who work and pay Social Security taxes earn Social Security credits.
Most people earn the maximum of four credits per year.
The number of credits needed to get retirement benefits depends on your date of birth. If you stop working before you have enough credits to qualify for benefits, your credits will remain on your Social Security record. If you return to work, you can add more credits to qualify. No retirement benefits can be paid until you have the required number of credits. More than likely, you will earn many more credits than you need to qualify for Social Security.