One of the first things I did upon joining Cato in 2004 was to develop a Social Security benefit calculator. That work would later contribute to my book on the outcomes of different Social Security reform proposals.

The Social Security Administration used to have a benefit calculator on its website, but it was cumbersome to use. Now the SSA has a portal that enables you to view your personalized earnings and benefits information. This is in lieu of the paper statement that was recently suspended for those younger than age 60.

For the SSA calculator, you can register here (after answering some identifying questions) and look at the benefits that the system is promising to give you (lots)—and then compare them to what you really can expect to receive (not so much, and even less the younger you are).