Social Security retirement benefits are based on three major factors: you current age, your age when you begin receiving benefits, and your past earnings.

You are free to stop working and start receiving Social Security benefits anytime between the ages of 62 and 70. But you age impacts on how much you will end up getting. In the past, you would expect to get your full benefits once you hit that magical age of 65. But that's not quite how Social Security works now.

There are many sources of information on the Internet to guide you towards making an informed prediction of whether Social Security will be enough to cover your expenses when you retire.

Your first stop on the Internet is the Social Security Administration website. Access this website directly at www.ssa.gov. Be prepared to learn the worst.

For the vast majority of Americans, Social Security benefits will not provide enough of an income and to cover expenses and make retirement comfortable.

Most people think that once they retire their expenses will be reduced. But just think ahead a little. Maybe you've always had a dream about your life in retirement. That dream may have included taking up a hobby or it may have included some travel. Depending on your retirement plans you may need a higher income than what Social Security is planning to provide you.

You can find out what your Social Security benefits will be by making the relevant calculations. Finding out how much you will be earning when you retire seems very complicated, but there are tools on the Internet that you can use right now to get you all the information you need to plan for a comfortable retirement.

There are tools available online to help you calculate your retirement income. The Social Security Administration website provides online calculators to help you estimate your potential benefit amounts and different levels of potential future earnings.

And remember. It's never too late to start planning for retirement. Most people seriously begin thinking about their retirement when it is just around the corner. But even so, it is never too late. Start now. Be prepared.

Dakota Caudilla, journalist, and website builder Dakota Caudilla lives in Texas. He is the owner and co-editor of http://www.great-senior-living.com on which you will find a longer, more detailed version of this article.

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