See a poster that was created to help publicize the Social Security Act.

President Franklin Delano Roosevelt’s New Deal created new government agencies and programs in the wake of the Great Depression, including the Social Security Act.

Many of the Social Security functions we know today are the result of multiple amendments to the Social Security Act that have been passed in the years since the act’s initial creation in 1935. As Social Security as we know it today was being conceptualized, Democrats opted to make it an insurance program rather than a welfare one to assuage Republicans.

President Franklin Delano Roosevelt’s New Deal created new government agencies and programs in the wake of the Great Depression.

Many of these, such as German Chancellor Otto von Bismarck's 1889 retirement system, emerged decades before America adopted them. This article dives into the modern history of economic security and the key legislation that created Social Security.

Before Social Security benefits were available to American retirees, they had to find other ways to get by. Pensions were only available to roughly 15% of workers, and most elderly Americans went without meaningful economic security.

The Social Security Administration is responsible for more than just retirement benefits. Outside of the more well-known use case of retirement benefits, the SSA is also responsible for disability, family, and survivor benefits, supplemental security income, and more.

In a recent Pew Research Center survey of US adults, 79% said Social Security benefits shouldn’t be reduced in any way. This view is broadly shared across ages, races, political affiliations, and income brackets.

Until 1975, Congress had to act each time Social Security benefits were increased. The 1970s saw particularly high inflation rates that eroded the purchasing power benefits, leading to the change.

Unless Congress acts before the Social Security trust fund becomes depleted in 2034, its current revenues would cover 81% of Social Security benefits. However, that share would decline to 72% by 2099.

Specifically, it noted that the Old-Age and Survivors Insurance Trust Fund will be able to pay 100 percent of total scheduled benefits until 2033, which was unchanged from the previous year’s report.

Myths include the pervasive ideas that undocumented immigrants drain Social Security, members of Congress don't pay into Social Security, the program itself is “going broke,” and more.

This article includes tips on how to spot a Social Security scam, including information about what the real Social Security Administration will and will not do. For instance, the Social Security Administration will never threaten someone with benefits suspension or bank account seizure if they do not comply with a request.

The SSA is an independent executive branch agency that is primarily responsible for administering Social Security benefits. In fiscal year 2024, The SSA, ranking second among federal agencies in terms of total spending, behind only the Department of Health and Human Services.

A worker who has earned at or above the Social Security taxable maximum for at least 35 years and delays claiming until 70 can receive up to $5,181 in monthly benefits. Delaying claiming Social Security until 70 (rather than 62, the earliest age one can receive benefits) results in a higher monthly benefit.

Rockwell initially pitched the "Four Freedoms" project to the US Ordnance Department, but was rejected. Rockwell's editor at the Saturday Evening Post, however, loved the idea and published the images across four consecutive issues. After they became a sensation, the Saturday Evening Post partnered with the US Department of the Treasury to send the paintings on a 16-date national tour, which raised $133M in war bonds and stamps. Meanwhile, the Office of War Information printed four million sets of the posters with "Buy War Bonds" emblazoned on them.

As more Baby Boomers start collecting Social Security for more years than the system anticipated—and, simultaneously, birth rates trend down—the Social Security system is feeling the squeeze. When fewer workers pay into Social Security, there's less money overall for retirees to collect. Learn more about what's next for Social Security in this video.

The year you were born determines when you become eligible for your Social Security full retirement age benefit. Spoiler alert, that age is no longer always 65. If you want to use this calculator to determine your full retirement age—and learn more about the drawbacks of claiming Social Security early—click here.

One is called the Old-Age and Survivors Insurance trust fund, and the other is called the Disability Insurance trust fund. Combined, these two trust funds were valued at roughly $2.7T as of the end of 2024.

One is called the Old-Age and Survivors Insurance trust fund, and the other is called the Disability Insurance trust fund. Combined, these two trust funds were valued at roughly $2.7T as of the end of 2024.

Most US workers have 6.2% of their gross paycheck taken out for Social Security. The government requires employers to match that 6.2% as well, for a total of 12.4%. This video dives into the specifics of how Social Security functions from a financial perspective.

Specifically, some assert that diverting funds into self-directed retirement accounts should replace Social Security taxes and benefits to some extent in a privatized retirement savings system. This article details the pros and cons of privatizing Social Security.

However, Sweeney died in 1974 having never received any benefits. Social Security numbers were first created to help track workers' earnings so Social Security benefits could be correctly administered.

Popular wisdom suggests people should wait as long as possible to claim their Social Security benefits. This article argues there are three types of people who would benefit from claiming sooner rather than later—such as people with short life expectancies. To see the other two groups of people who might want to claim as soon as possible, read the article here.

Social security is the US government’s largest expense. You can see other government expenses in a visual breakdown of what one US tax dollar actually pays for. Total spending amounts were converted to cents on the dollar and percentages.

During the Great Depression, 1,000 homes were foreclosed on per day, and half of the mortgages across the country defaulted. To address this crisis, President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed the National Housing Act. It established the Federal Housing Administration, which is still around today and helps protect lenders and buyers.

Key Secure Act provisions included raising the age at which mandatory distributions take effect (to increase saving), allowing larger catch-up contributions for older individuals, and allowing employers to directly match contributions in a Roth 401(k).

That’s because while Social Security benefits increase with wages and inflation, the income limits for taxing those benefits stay the same and don’t adjust over time.

This extensive gallery curated by Ben Perry features nearly 1,500 Socialist Realist posters. The images celebrate agriculture, industry, and cultural life, condemn fascism and capitalism, and glorify leaders like Lenin and Stalin through bold colors, striking typography, and classic Soviet design.

Medicare and Medicaid both provide government-funded healthcare but serve different groups. Medicare, launched in 1965, covers those 65 and over and has three parts: hospital stays (A), outpatient care (B), and prescriptions (D). Medicaid, funded by federal and state governments, supports low-income individuals, with eligibility varying by state.

To calculate your Social Security benefit, the government uses information such as your birthday, current earnings, future retirement date, and more. Calculate an estimation for your future Social Security monthly benefit here.

Social Security operates through a trust fund built from payroll taxes. When costs outpace revenue, as they have since 2021, the program redeems Treasury bonds to cover the gap. To repay these bonds, the government often borrows more money, indirectly adding to the national debt and impacting fiscal policy.

Forty credits are equal to about 10 years of full-time work. If someone has never worked, they won’t be eligible for benefits on their own, but they could qualify via a spouse, ex-spouse, or dependent.

Pension plans are a form of guaranteed retirement plan for long-time workers, and they were a major part of industries in the mid-20th century. With the rise of the 401(k) and similar tax-advantaged, defined-contribution accounts, these so-called defined-benefit plans have declined in use by employers. Compare US adoption of both kinds in this table.

Though it looks different in other countries, economic historians trace retirement's rise in the US to a growth in personal income through pensions, GDP, and Social Security.

This photo gallery showcases posters from the Empire Marketing Board, created after Canada gained dominion status in 1926. The campaign encouraged Canadians to buy goods from across the British Empire, producing more than 800 posters displayed nationwide.

See how US comic books, alongside international counterparts, served as powerful wartime propaganda tools from 1941 to 1945—boosting morale, promoting war bonds, and demonizing Axis powers through the use of iconic heroes and patriotic messaging.

In America, life was transformed by total war: sixteen million service members left civilian life, while massive industrial production demanded labor. Women, minorities, and teens filled factories, fueling boomtown growth and breaking social barriers. Simultaneously, rationing, recycling drives, Victory Gardens, ration stamps, blackout drills, and war bond campaigns permeated daily routines.

Taken by Dorothea Lange, the image shows a mother in tattered clothes looking distressed while her children cling to her. At the time, the family was surviving on frozen vegetables from nearby fields and birds killed by the children.

Franklin D. Roosevelt's response to the Great Depression expanded federal power through economic regulation and social welfare programs, permanently reshaping federalism by shifting responsibility for financial security to Washington while leaving states to administer many of these programs.