April is Jazz Appreciation Month, a perfect time to move your feet and revel in the smooth beats of one of America's most beloved musical genres.
Ella Fitzgerald, the "Queen of Jazz," known for her scatting style, had a vocal range spanning three octaves. Other great jazz icons include Dizzy Gillespie, Benny Goodman, Louis Armstrong, Herbie Hancock, and Wynton Marsalis.
These jazz greats not only have music in common, but they either received, receive, or will be eligible to receive Social Security retirement benefits. Wynton Marsalis, at age 53, is approaching retirement. Herbie Hancock, at age 74, is already old enough to receive full Social Security retirement benefits. A lot of planning and preparation made these artists successful. If you want to be successful in your retirement years, financial planning is important for hitting all the high notes.
You don't have to scat like Ella, or blow your horn like Wynton, Dizzy, and Louis, to plan for retirement. If you're making retirement plans, you'll want to visit Social Security's website to use our retirement planner at http://www.socialsecurity.gov/retire. You'll find detailed information about your Social Security retirement and what you may want to consider as you prepare for your future.
Our Retirement Estimator at http://www.socialsecurity.gov/estimator will give you an instant, personalized estimate of your future benefits. You can plug in different retirement ages and scenarios to help you make a decision. If you're ready to apply for retirement benefits, just go online at http://www.socialsecurity.gov/applyonline.
Creating a secure my Social Security account at http://www.socialsecurity.gov/myaccount is another way to fine tune your retirement. Your account will allow you to verify your posted earnings and get retirement estimates for ages 62, 67, and 70. Opening a my Social Security account is safe, easy, and only takes a few minutes.
Louis Armstrong's "What a Wonderful World" may come to mind as you visit our website at http://www.socialsecurity.gov to jazz up your retirement planning!
Local on 03/31/2015