2017 RANKING & REVIEWS
TOP RANKING BEST SOCIAL SECURITY CALCULATORS
Utilize a Social Security Retirement Benefits Calculator to Better Plan for Retirement
Maybe you will not be retiring for 40 years, or maybe you retired last year. Either way, it can be extremely helpful to know, understand, and calculate social security benefits. This way you will be able to see whether or not your social security can cover you throughout your retirement years.
One of the best and easiest ways to do this is to use an online social security calculator. These social security benefits calculator websites help you easily and correctly calculate social security benefit information.
Award Emblem: Top 6 Best Social Security Calculators
This review will be your 2017 guide to the six best online social security calculator options available to you. Since there are many different aspects to social security, they all serve various functions including a:
- Social security disability calculator
- Social security tax calculator
- Social security spousal benefits calculator
- Social security payment calculator
- Social security survivor benefits calculator
Read through the list of six online calculators below to see which social security calculator for retirement will best help you plan for the years after you are done working.
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AdvisoryHQ’s List of the Top 6 Best Social Security Benefits Calculator Websites
List is sorted alphabetically (click any of the social security calculator names below to go directly to the detailed review section for that social security calculator):
- AARP: Social Security Benefits Calculator
- CalcXML: Social Security Tax Calculator
- Disability Benefits Help: Disability Benefits Calculator
- Social Security Administration: Benefits for Spouses Calculator
- Social Security Administration: Social Security Detailed Calculator
- Social Security Administration: Social Security Online Calculator
Top 6 Best Social Security Calculator Options | Brief Comparison & Ranking
Social Security Calculator For Retirement | Also a Social Security Disability Calculator? | Unique Features |
| AARP: Social Security Benefits Calculator | No | General social security retirement benefits calculator |
| CalcXML: Social Security Tax Calculator
| No | Social security calculator to determine taxes |
| Disability Benefits Help: Disability Benefits Calculator | Yes | Social security disability calculator |
| Social Security Administration: Benefits for Spouses Calculator
| No | Social security spousal benefits calculator |
| Social Security Administration: Social Security Detailed Calculator
| Yes | Precise social security calculator for retirement |
| Social Security Administration: Social Security Online Calculator
| Yes | Simple social security calculator for retirement |
Table: Top 6 Best Social Security Calculators | Above list is sorted alphabetically
How Is Social Security Calculated?
What you will receive from social security after you retire depends upon what you made while you were still in the workforce.
Image source: Bigstock
Fortunately, all your earnings will be refigured to today’s wage standard to compensate for inflation. Then the 35 years of your highest income will be averaged (Note: if you have not worked 35 years, zeros will be included in the average). Next, a social security benefit formula will be applied.
This is all fairly complicated math that could take you a long time to figure out if you are doing it yourself. This is where a good social security calculator comes in to save you time and stress.
These online social security income calculator/social security benefits calculator websites already have the necessary algorithms to bring you to a solid estimate of your social security payout.
When it comes to other factors such as disability, a social security disability calculator can help you see what you qualify for without too much time-consuming research on your part.
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Detailed Review—Top Ranking Best Social Security Calculator Choices
Below, please find a detailed review of each calculator on our list of social security payment calculator websites. We have highlighted some of the factors that allowed social security retirement benefits calculator options to score so high in our selection ranking.
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AARP: Social Security Benefits Calculator Review
The first social security calculator up on our list is the AARP: Social Security Benefits Calculator. This is a nice, general social security income calculator. It will calculate social security benefits, offer a graph of your payout, and show you how to maximize those benefits.
In order to use this social security calculator from AARP, you will need to enter the following information:
- Marital status
- Years of marriage
- Date of brith
- Government employee information, if applicable
- Average annual salary
The AARP: Social Security Benefits Calculator will then estimate your monthly benefits. The next screen will bring you to a graph to show you how much you could earn if you retired at different years (Note: the longer you wait, the more you can earn).
Finally, this social security calculator for retirement has an interactive tool to show you how to maximize your benefits by balancing them with your budget. You can work it out to find a way to stay under your social security benefits each month.
CalcXML: Social Security Tax Calculator Review
If you need to calculate social security benefits in regards to taxes, then the CalcXML: Social Security Tax Calculator is the right choice for you. Since your social security benefits can be taxed, it is helpful to take advantage of a social security tax calculator to see if you should reposition your income in any way.
This social security tax calculator in particular allows you to look at your tax information and gross income sources to see how much of your social security benefits may be taxed.
In order to use this social security calculator from CalcXML, you will need to enter the folowing information:
- Tax filing status
- Marginal tax bracket
- Long-term capital gains/losses
- Short-term capital gains/losses
- Dividends
- Taxable interest
- Tax-free interest
- Pension benefits
- IRA distributions
- Roth IRA distributions
- Other taxable income
- Wages
- Self-employed income/loss
- Deductible IRA contributions
- Social security received
It will then calculate social security benefit taxes, so you can see what to expect. Not only does this social security tax calculator offer detailed results, you will also be able to see a graph to better understand.
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Disability Benefits Help: Disability Benefits Calculator Review
So far we have seen two social security benefits calculator websites, but it it is equally important to look at social security disability calculator websites as well. The first social security disability calculator we will see is the Disability Benefits Help: Disability Benefits Calculator.
Image Source: Disability Benefits Help
This social security disability calculator asks you a series of questions that will tell you whether or not you can qualify for disability benefits. If you can, it will tell you what you can expect.
To calculate social security benefits with this social security disability calculator, you will need to know the following information:
- How much you make per month
- Your job history over the past 10 years
- Your combined income and resources
- How much you are expected to earn each month while disabled
After you have entered the information, the social security disability calculator will tell you if you earn too much to be considered for these disability benefits. If you may qualify, however, the social security benefits calculator will give you next steps.
Social Security Administration: Benefits for Spouses Calculator Review
For those in need of a social security spousal benefits calculator (or a social security survivor benefits calculator) check out the Social Security Administration: Benefits for Spouses Calculator.
Since a worker’s spouse may be eligible for social security benefits, using a social security spousal benefits calculator can help you see what you or your spouse may be able to get.
In order to use this social security spousal benefits calculator/social security survivor benefits calculator, you will need to enter the following information:
- Spouse’s date of birth
- Spouse’s desired date to begin receiving benefits
Then this social security calculator will tell you how much of the worker’s benefit you could be able to receive once you qualify.
Keep in mind that a spouse must be at least 62 years old, have a child under 16, or receive social security disability (to see if you qualify for this disability assistance, see the social security disability calculator above).
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Social Security Administration: Social Security Detailed Calculator Review
Most of these social security benefits calculator options are simple calculators on a website where you can quickly punch in a few numbers and get a result. The Social Security Administration: Social Security Detailed Calculator is bigger than that.
This social security calculator is so detailed and comprehensive, you actually have to download it from the Social Security Administration website. They have both Windows and Mac options for downloading to your computer.
This social security benefits calculator works as a social security disability calculator, a social security survivor benefits calculator, and a precise social security payment calculator.
It will calculate social security benefit options in an extemely detailed manner, not like many other social security calculator websites that simply estimate.
This is the ideal social security calculator for retirement when you are not worried about saving time, but would rather know exactly what to expect. It is also ideal for those with disabilities who need a social security disability calculator.
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Social Security Administration: Social Security Online Calculator Review
Our final social security retirement benefits calculator is the Social Security Administration: Social Security Online Calculator. Consider this the opposite of the detailed social security calculator above. The main purpose of this social security income calculator is to calculate social security benefits, so you can estimate your payout after retirement.
Image Source: Social Security Administration
This is also a great option for those with disabilities, as it is also used as a social security disability calculator. In addition, you can use this as a social security survivor benefits calculator or social security spousal benefits calculator. To use this social security calculator for retirement, you will need to enter the following information:
- Your date of birth
- Your age at retirement
- Today’s dollars or future inflated dollars
- Annual earnings since 1951
- Earnings this year
- Expected future earnings
Then the social security benefits calculator will determine your benefits, disaiblity benefits, spouse benefits, and more.
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Conclusion—Top 6 Social Security Benefits & Social Security Disability Calculator Websites
Now you have a better idea of what online social security benefits calculator options are available to you.
You can choose one of these top social security retirement benefits calculator websites to better understand your retirement finances. If you are still working, it gives you time to supplement any extra income you may need. If you are not still working, it will help you budget well.
Or, perhaps you are a spouse using a social security spousal benefits calculator or someone with disabilities using a social security disability calculator—in either case you can discover benefits that you may not have previously known you could take advantage of.
No matter your situation, one of these social security calculator websites should help bring financial clarity and confidence to you in 2017. That way you can spend more time enjoying retirement than worrying about your fianancial situation.
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