Does Your Family Want an Extra $120k in Retirement Income? If Yes, Read This

Social Security along with America Saves, the American Savings Education Council, and the Women’s Institute for a Secure Retirement recently launched the “Campaign for a Secure Retirement: Helping Millions of Americans Plan and Save for Retirement.” The campaign, which runs through July, aims to encourage retirement planning and saving as well as promote the online Social Security Statement, available through my Social Security.”

[Related: 3 Easy Money Management Tips for Millennials]

“An important part of setting a retirement income goal is understanding the role Social Security plays,” says Dallas Salisbury, President and CEO of the Employee Benefit Research Institute.

While the nation’s attention is on Social Security, we’d like to bring your attention to the fact that according to the Center for Retirement Research, Americans leave  roughly $25 billion dollars in unclaimed  Social Security benefits on the table each year.  It’s not surprising.  Hidden in the more than 2,700 rules that govern Social Security, are twists and turns that are difficult for even seasoned financial professionals to understand.  This is something we simply can’t afford.  According the AARP, about 50% of Americans depend on Social Security for at least half of their retirement income, making it one of our most important retirement assets.

Some industry watchers say Wall Street spends much of its time and money focusing the public’s attention on retirement investment vehicles like 401 (k)’s and IRA’s because much of the financial services industry’s money comes from those investments.

“People can make a lot of money by getting people to invest their retirement savings with them, but there’s not a lot of money to be made for Social Security,” says Richard Johnson, senior fellow at The Urban Institute.  “I think as a result, people aren’t getting that much good information about when they should take their social security and how they can make the most of it. Social Security is an incredibly complex program,” Johnson adds.

This is not to downplay the importance of investing the retirement and taking full advantage of company 401 (k) plans and things like SEP’s and IRA’s, but making sure you maximize social security benefits should be equally as important.

Matthew Allen and Catherine Hormats founded a company called Social Security Advisors

. They say 70% of Americans leave Social Security money on the table, averaging $120,000 per couple.  For $24.95, they give clients an automated analysis and plan that helps them maximize their Social Security benefits.  For $124.95, they provide clients with personal counseling.

“I’m proud to say on average, we bring our clients an additional $120,000 in lifetime benefits,” says Hormats.  “If we don’t increase our client’s lifetime Social Security benefit by $10,000 their fees are fully refunded.  That’s our  Maximum Social Security Guarantee,” she adds.

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The Viagra Benefit

One of the most commonly overlooked benefits is what commonly referred to as “The Viagra Benefit.” Stay with me — I once interviewed a family who used this to save $1,000 a month for their daughter’s college education.

1. Eligible dependents include:  Biological children, adopted or stepchildren, or dependent grandchildren as long as the child is under 18-years-old.

2. Each qualified child in your family can receive up to half of your full benefit amount:  Say you qualify for $2,000 a month. Your child can get $1,000.

3. Your child’s money does not reduce the size of your payments.

4. There is a limit:  The total amount your family receives – including you and your children – is capped between 150 and 180% of your benefits – depending on when you were born.   Say, for example, you qualify for a payment of $1,000 a month. The total benefits you and your family receive cannot exceed $1,500 – $1,800 under any circumstance.

5. You can, however, delay receiving your payments to avoid bumping up against those limits.

“That’s something that is becoming increasingly important now for people who are having children later in life,” says the Urban Institute’s Richard Johnson.

Matthew Allen, Co-Founder and Co-CEO of Social Security Advisors, says many of his clients are also surprised to learn that they can claim benefits after they’re divorced even if their ex has remarried.

1. To qualify, you must be 62-years-old.

2. Your marriage must have lasted for at least 10 years.

3. The divorce has to be at least 2-years-old.

4. Your ex has to qualify for social security benefits, but does not have to be claiming them.

5. Your ex’s benefit has to be worth more than yours.

6. If you meet those guidelines, your benefit is equal to half of your ex’s:  If she is eligible for $2,000 a month, you get $1,000, even if they remarry.

7. If ‘you’ remarry, all bets are off, unless your new marriage ends by death, divorce, or annulment.

“The two biggest mistakes most couples make is failing to coordinate spousal benefits and failing to claim benefits in the proper way so that it maximizes the survivor benefit for the surviving spouse. These two errors cost the average couple roughly $40k to $50k in lost spousal benefits and another $70k to $80k is lost survivor benefits.  It really comes down to these two issues,” says Allen.

If you currently have a financial adviser, be sure to ask if she has training in Social Security planning.  If not, you may want to find a financial professional who does.