You Asked, We Answer! Financial Independence
Did you miss our January WISE webinar? During the event, we talked about financial independence, including the path to work and money management skills and resources.
By learning how to manage your finances, you can set smart financial goals, save more money for your needs and wants and enjoy financial independence.
More than 450 people joined us on January 24 for the webinar, and we received many great questions. Today we're answering the top 3 questions to help you find resources that may help you on your own path to success.
Do I need to pay taxes?
If you earned income during 2017, chances are you'll need to file a tax return this year. You can also take the IRS's quiz, Do I Need to File a Tax Return?, to find out if you're required to file a tax return. For additional questions, contact your local IRS office.
Finding help on preparing and filing your taxes is easy. Check out our Money Mondays blog post, Tax Tips and Preparation for resources on finding help preparing and filing your taxes.
Where can I find help managing my finances?
Managing your finances may include setting up a budget, building and strengthening your credit, and deciding where you'd like to keep your money for quick access and saving. You can find help from these resources that we shared during the webinar:
Budget
Credit
- Free Annual Credit Report
- Credit Reporting Agencies for addressing errors
Banking
Our monthly series, Money Mondays, also offers advice and resources for managing your finances as you return to work or start working for the first time. In a recent Money Mondays post, guest blogger Sherman Gifford shared how the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB)’s Your Money, Your Goals toolkit can help you work with your Ticket to Work service provider to plan your path to financial independence.
How do I report my earnings to Social Security?
Reporting your earned wages is a very important part of avoiding overpayments. Learn more about reporting your wages in our Money Mondays blog post: Wage Reporting: Myths, Tips and Ticket to Work. Social Security offers multiple ways to report your wages, including a new wage reporting option with a my Social Security account that's available for people who receive Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI). Learn more about this in Wage Reporting for People who Receive SSDI. You can also learn more about wage reporting on the Choose Work website.
How can I learn more?
Each month, our national Work Incentive Seminar Events (WISE) webinars share resources and tips to help people with disabilities find work and financial success. WISE webinars can help you stay informed about Ticket to Work (Ticket) program information, hear about new and existing resources that may help as you consider work, and learn more about specific employment topics.
Our next WISE webinar, Ticket to Work: Choosing the Service Provider That’s Right for You, will take place on February 28, 3-4:30 p.m. ET. Register to attend today!
Staying updated on the Ticket program is easy:
- Subscribe to the Choose Work! blog
- Subscribe to learn about the monthly WISE webinars
- Follow us on Facebook and Twitter
About Ticket to Work
Social Security's Ticket program supports career development for people ages 18 through 64 who receive Social Security disability benefits (SSI or SSDI) and want to work.
The Ticket program is free and voluntary. It helps people with disabilities move toward financial independence and connects them with the services and support they need to succeed in the workforce.
Learn more
You can call the Ticket to Work Help Line at 866-968-7842 or 866-833-2967 (TTY) Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. ET. Ask a representative to send you a list of service providers or find providers on your own with the Ticket program Find Help tool.
