3 Ways You Can Lose Your Social Security Benefits

Approximately 37% of baby boomers say they expect Social Security to be their primary source of income in retirement, according to a report from the Transamerica Center for Retirement Studies. To qualify for Social Security benefits, you typically have to have worked and paid Social Security taxes for at least 10 years. The Social Security Administration calculates your basic benefit amount -- or the amount you'll receive by claiming at your full retirement age -- by taking an average of your income over the 35 highest-earning years of your career and then adjusting it for inflation.