As a single (middle aged) woman, I found myself worried about my retirement when my marriage ended in divorce after 20 years.  It didn’t take long to realize I wasn’t the only one.  Many women who leave the workforce to raise their family, excluding them from Social Security accumulation, find themselves wondering how they’re going to make it through retirement years.  When I looked into my Social Security account, I saw my earnings were minimal because of the 20 years I stepped away from taxable earnings.  It was through an RSSA that I learned I am eligible to collect Social Security benefits from my former spouses earnings, without him knowing and without it affecting his benefit amount.  This is just one example of how working with an RSSA can help You discover and decipher the many layers of the Social Security program.  Take time now to work with a Retirement Specialist so you can relax later. You earned it!