According to the National Institute of Retirement Security, about 40% of Americans aged 65 and older rely solely on Social Security benefits for their income in retirement.

Turning Complexity into Clarity

As professionals in the industry, we see firsthand the frustration and lack of accurate information available to clients regarding their Social Security benefits. For most retirees in our country, this is by far the most important decision you will make when it comes to lifetime income.

According to Forbes, 96 percent of Americans lose an average of $111,000 in their Social Security income due to mistakes made while filing for benefits. Other studies indicate that between 20% to 40% of retirees express regret about claiming Social Security benefits too early.

Our mission is simple. We want to help you maximize your benefits and discuss how Social Security fits into your retirement planning.

 It’s important to make a decision based on your personal situation. The advice you receive from someone else may not apply to your circumstances. There are pros and cons to every strategy, so we want to help you navigate those choices and make an informed decision.

How We Can Help

Social Security is incredibly complex. Social Security benefits are calculated based on thousands of rules and regulations that have grown over the years. There are many options available that most people simply are not aware of. Understanding all these rules and how they apply to you personally is virtually impossible for the average American.

Our analysis and reports will show you the financial impact of different claiming strategies. However, the biggest variable that leads to a successful Social Security strategy is your future health and life expectancy. We don’t have that information, so we have to talk through scenarios to see what risks might come up if you file too early or too late.

About Chris Ball

SSA Teacher was founded by Chris Ball, a seasoned professional with a deep-rooted passion for education and service to others. Chris is a former financial advisor with expertise in special needs planning and government benefits. Chris enjoys helping families make informed decisions regarding Social Security, Medicaid, Medicare, along with other benefit planning.

Chris is frustrated by the lack of education around Social Security in our society. We do not learn about it in school, we are not taught the rules on how to plan for it, and the laws are so incredibly complex that it’s hard for us to know all of the special circumstances that might apply. As a financial advisor, Chris met with so many people who regretted their decision or were misinformed about the options that were available to them.

Chris does his consulting and teaching work in partnership with Macomb Income Tax, an enrolled agency in Macomb, MI owned by Bill Kirkaldy. Bill is a professional who prides himself on excellent service and client education on complex tax issues. Everything we do is centered on helping our clients keep more of their hard earned money and to avoid costly mistakes.

Even if you already have a trusted team of advisors, we can help by providing expertise on Social Security and how it fits into your overall plan. We are happy to partner with you and your team to help gain clarity on your options and make the most informed decision possible.

Our process is easy, and we serve clients all over the country. Please visit our “Get Started” page to learn more.

Chris supports a variety of non-profits through his work in the special needs community and has served on several advisory committees.