This Could Be the Easiest Way to Get More Social Security

By Maurie Backman – Feb 26, 2026 at 8:48PM ESTKey PointsYour Social Security benefits are based on your income history and filing age.It's important to make sure your earnings record doesn't have mistakes.One simple move could lead to larger checks.Social Security could end up paying you a pretty decent amount of money in retirement. And if you don't have much savings, those monthly benefits may constitute the bulk of your retirement income. That's why it's important to do what you can to get more Social Security. The monthly benefits you're entitled to in retirement will be based on two things: Your personal wage history. Your filing age. But in the context of your personal earnings history, mistakes can happen. Income can be underreported or not reported to the Social Security Administration (SSA) at all. Image source: Getty Images. That's why it's so important to check your earnings record and make sure that it's accurate. To do so, create an account at SSA.gov and review your earnings statements year by year. Compare the amount of income listed to your personal records to make sure the data matches up. If you see an error that works against you, contact the SSA. They can tell you what steps to take to prove that you have missing or underreported income on file. It's an especially good idea to check your Social Security earnings record if you've changed jobs frequently throughout your career or did a lot of contract work. Similarly, if you changed names at any point during your career, you'll want to make sure you're getting credit for all of your wages. Even if you have plenty of retirement savings and don't expect to be too reliant on Social Security, there's no reason not to get the benefits you're entitled to in full. Checking your earnings record is perhaps the easiest way to avoid a reduction in those monthly checks.Read NextFeb 26, 2026 •By Kailey Hagen, CFPIt's OK to Get This Retirement Decision Wrong -- Just Don't Get It Too WrongFeb 26, 2026 •By Maurie BackmanYou Only Have Until March 31 to Make This Crucial Medicare MoveFeb 26, 2026 •By Kailey Hagen, CFPDon't Have Any Retirement Savings? Here's Where to StartFeb 26, 2026 •By Maurie BackmanIs Taking Your Required Minimum Distribution (RMD) in February a Smart Move?Feb 26, 2026 •By Kailey Hagen, CFPHere's Why Planning Not to Retire Could Come Back to Bite YouFeb 26, 2026 •By Maurie BackmanCan You Retire Comfortably on $1.26 Million in Savings?About the AuthorMaurie Backman is a contributing Motley Fool retirement and Social Security expert with more than a decade of experience writing about personal finance, investing, and retirement planning. Maurie previously worked in finance analyzing distressed companies. She studied finance at Binghamton University.TMFBookNerd