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Years ago, Social Security mailed physical checks to benefit recipients. Each month, millions of Social Security benefit payments would be delivered to the mailboxes of recipients across the country. Since so many individuals and families rely on these monthly payments, they would often be waiting on the mail to be delivered at the first of the month so that they could deposit the check into their bank account. Checks were sometimes lost in the mail, and it was also expensive for the Social Security Administration to send that many checks through the postal service. Thankfully, there is a better way of delivering payments today.
Physical checks are no longer an option for retirement or disability benefits. Today, the most popular method for delivery of Social Security checks is direct deposit. This makes the process quicker, easier, and more efficient. Now, benefit recipients do not have to wait at their mailbox and guess when their check will arrive. Their benefit amount is deposited directly into their bank account on the day that their benefits should be paid. For instance, if you receive your benefits on the third Wednesday of the month, you can rest assured that your benefit amount will be in your account on the morning of that Wednesday.
Another option for benefit recipients is to have the funds loaded onto a Direct Express debit card. This is similar to direct deposit, but the funds are loaded onto a debit card that can be used to pay for goods and services. You can also use the card to withdraw cash at an ATM or get cashback on some purchases. It is worth noting, however, that there might be fees associated with some transactions on the card. This option is generally selected by people who do not have a bank account to make a direct deposit.
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www.marketwatch.com
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