Step 1: Making Peace With The Past

How do I find out how much I have earned in my life?

In the United States, it is the Social Security Administration that keeps track of how much employment pay you have officially earned in your lifetime.  The send a quarterly report to all workers with a Social Security Number that details how much pay has been reported, how much of it has been taxed, and how much the federal entitlement programs are required to pay you after federal retirement age, or federal disability determination. 

To receive the Social Security Administration's Personal Earnings and Benefits Statement, apply on the web at:

https://s3abaca.ssa.gov/pro/batch-pebes/bp-7004home.shtml

Please note that this does not include pay you may have received "under the table" (e.g. baby sitting or lawn mowing during your youth.)  Also, employers that paid you under a certain amount per year are not required to report that amount to the SSA.  You will have to check your own records and estimate for any of these types of income.  We recommend that you DO put that effort in and include ALL earned income throughout your life in your calculations!

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