Social Security’s been a fact of retirement life ever since it was established in 1935. We all think we know how it works, but how much do you really know? If you work for Salesforce, here are nine things that might surprise you.

1. The Social Security trust fund is huge. At $2.9 trillion at the end of 2018, it exceeds the gross domestic product (GDP) of every economy in the world except the ten largest: China, the European Union, the United States, India, Japan, Germany, Russia, Indonesia, Brazil, and The United Kingdom.
2. Most workers including those at Salesforce are eligible for Social Security benefits, but not all. For example, until 1984, federal government employees were part of the Civil Service Retirement System and were not covered by Social Security.
3. As an employee of Salesforcek, you don’t have to work long to be eligible. If you were born in 1929 or later, you need to work for 10 or more years to be eligible for benefits.
4. Benefits are based on an individual’s average earnings during a lifetime of work under the Social Security system. The calculation is based on the 35 highest years of earnings. If an individual has years of low earnings or no earnings, Social Security may count those years to bring the total years to 35.

1. Social Security Administration, 2018; CIA World Factbook, 2018
2-5, 7-9. Social Security Administration, 2019
6. Employee Benefit Research Institute, 2018

That same shift from growing assets to drawing them down applies directly to the pension decisions in front of you at Salesforce. Without a traditional pension, your 401(k) - alongside Social Security - forms the foundation of your retirement income at Salesforce. Salesforce may offer a 401(k) employer match - review your Summary Plan Description for current match rate and vesting details. Your overall withdrawal strategy, account sequence, and Roth conversion opportunities leading up to and into retirement deserve careful, personalized analysis given the income-sequencing implications.

On the healthcare side, Salesforce does not offer continued medical coverage to retirees, which means coverage through the company ends when employment does. Planning for the cost of health insurance during any gap between your retirement date and Medicare eligibility at age 65 is a critical step - marketplace coverage, COBRA continuation, or a spouse's employer plan are common options. Building an accurate estimate of bridge-coverage costs into your retirement income projection prevents underestimating one of the largest variable expenses retirees face. Connecting your specific Salesforce benefits situation to a comprehensive retirement income plan - and understanding how each component interacts - gives you the most complete picture of what retirement will look like.