By: Vonda VanTil, Social Security Public Affairs Specialist

We named our blog Social Security Matters for a few reasons. Yes, we matter to millions of people. And the matters we write about—from policy changes to new programs—from online my Social Security features to popular baby names—are topics that affect you in one way or another.

Our blogs provide a lot of information about our programs and services as well as our easy to use tools that can help you plan for retirement or do business with us from the comfort of your home. So, we’d  like to share our most informative blog posts from this past year. As you peruse these posts, consider sharing them with friends and family.

• Medicare or Medicaid? We know this can be a little confusing, so we broke down the differences for you in easy to understand terms at ssa.gov/is-it-medicare-or-medicaid.
• Estimating your benefits is easy with our online calculators. It only takes a few minutes to see what your years of work will add up to at ssa.gov/estimate-your-benefits-today-for-a-secure-tomorrow.
• The Social Security Board of Trustees released its annual report on the current and projected financial status of the Old-Age and Survivors Insurance and Disability Insurance (OASDI) Trust Funds. Read more at ssa.gov/social-security-2018-trustees-report.
• In one infographic, we show you how easy it is to create a secure my Social Security account at ssa.gov/how-to-create-a-my-social-security-account.
• We released our list of most popular baby names for 2017! Read them at ssa.gov/just-arrived-introducing-social-securitys-top-10-baby-names-of-2017.
• Want to know how to increase your benefits beyond retirement age? We break it down here: ssa.gov/how-you-can-grow-your-social-security-benefits-beyond-retirement-age.
• Do you need to replace a lost Social Security card? You may be able to do it online using your my Social Security Find out more at blog.ssa.gov/1-million-social-security-replacement-cards-and-counting.
• Want to know three things you can do right now to prepare for retirement? Taking these steps today will give you a head start at ssa.gov/3-things-you-can-do-to-prepare-for-retirement-right-now.

Information is power. Being informed is what matters most when you’re making decisions that will affect you and your loved ones for a lifetime. You can always visit our main page and find what matters most to you at www.socialsecurity.gov.

Vonda VanTil is the Public Affairs Specialist for West Michigan. You can write her c/o Social Security Administration, 3045 Knapp NE, Grand Rapids MI 49525 or via email at vonda.vantil@ssa.gov.