Under the retirement portal of http://www.socialsecurity.gov is a section entitled "Calculate Your Benefits." There, you can use the calculators to estimate your potential benefit amounts using different retirement dates and levels of future earnings. The calculators display rough estimates of retirement, disability and survivor benefit amounts if you or a loved one dies or become disabled.

Social Security benefits are calculated based on age, income guidelines, the nature of a disability, the ability to find financially gainful work or the length of one's work record.

Not all jobs and benefit calculations are created equal. If you work for an agency of a state or local government, say the United States Post Office, or if your are a city employee, unlike workers in the private sector, you may not be covered by Social Security. Some are covered just by their public retirement pension programs; some are covered by both public pensions and Social Security; and some are covered by Social Security only.