Source for the full story : The math behind your Social Security payment – MarketWatch
The math behind your Social Security payment
Let’s go back to school to study the math behind your Social Security. A little understanding of the numbers goes a long way to avoiding retirement surprises and shortfalls.
Like other pension systems, your Social Security is based on three factors: eligibility, earnings and age. The Social Security Administration (SSA) puts its own twist on each factor.