Many people still misunderstand how the system works and why there isn't enough money to keep it strong for the immediate future.

As part of its review of a recent proposal, the Social Security actuaries provided another contribution to the extensive body of evidence showing that life expectancy is positively related to income and that the gap between those at the top and the bottom of the income distribution has increased over time.

Key Points It can be advantageous to delay Social Security for larger payments for life. You don’t want to deplete your savings too quickly, either. Your decision should hinge on your total savings balance,

Elon Musk claims that his Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) has uncovered "the biggest fraud in history" within the Social Security

The typical retired worker on Social Security today gets about $1,979 per month. That’s not a bad payday at all when you combine it with other income sources, like withdrawals from an IRA or 401(k) plan.

Here's how many Social Security retirement checks go out to people 99 and older. Hint: It's far fewer than Trump claims.