Understanding the latest changes in Social Security can help you plan for your future. Most of the changes are minor, but there are some that retirees should especially note. For many retirees, Social Security is a critical pillar of financial stability.

American workers are eligible to set up an account at SSA.gov in order to track and optimize their forthcoming Social Security payments.

Americans earn Social Security benefits upon reaching retirement age, but some workers face stiff penalties if they work as a public servant.

The age you file for Social Security will directly affect your benefit amount. Data suggests there's one age that's far better than the rest, potentially boosting your lifetime income by hundreds of thousands of dollars.