The Daily — The 9-Digit Number That Changed America's Identity - aarp Newsletter | BrandsNinja

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The Daily

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People standing on large Social Security cards.

The 9-Digit Number That Changed America’s Identity

We’re celebrating Social Security’s 90th anniversary! Learn how the Social Security number has evolved from a code to track earnings into the passkey to our financial lives.

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Pledge to Fight for Social Security

For 90 years, Social Security has been there for multiple generations — and AARP fights every day so that it stays strong for you and generations to come.

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7 Things That Can Lower Social Security Payments

From Medicare premiums and work to certain debt and more, see which factors can reduce what you collect.

Take a Look

8 Numbers That Tell the Story of Social Security

Here are some significant numbers, with accompanying infographics, that illustrate Social Security’s evolution, where it is today, and where it might be headed.

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Key Moments When AARP Stood Up for Social Security

Activating tens of millions of members has enabled AARP to tackle threats to benefits and services.

What to Know

10 Social Security Myths That Refuse to Die

Some worries, and the many changes to the program over its history, have given rise to a variety of misconceptions. Let’s separate fact from fiction.

See the List

The History of Social Security

Over the decades, it has matured into a vital source of inflation-adjusted income for retirees, people with disabilities, and their dependents and survivors.

From 1934 to 2025

10 Things Spouses Need to Know About Survivor Benefits

Calculated on the basis of the late loved one’s lifetime earnings, these benefits offer a crucial measure of financial protection in the aftermath of loss.

Payments and More

How to Identify and Avoid Common Social Security Scams

They start when criminals call or send you a text, a letter or a social media message, in which they claim to be officials with ties to the Social Security Administration.