SSA limits the value of resources you own to no more than $2,000. The resource limit for a couple is only slightly more at $3,000. Resources are any assets that can be converted into cash, including bank accounts.
You can have up to $2,000 in cash or in the bank and still qualify for, or collect, SSI (Supplemental Security Income).
How much does the average 70-year-old have in savings? According to data from the Federal Reserve, the average amount of retirement savings for 65- to 74-year-olds is just north of $426,000.
If you receive benefits through the federal Supplemental Security Income (SSI) program, the Social Security Administration (SSA) can check your bank account. They do this to verify that you still meet the program requirements.
Pension payments, annuities, and the interest or dividends from your savings and investments are not earnings for Social Security purposes.
Money in a savings account, however, is a countable resource. That means you could be ineligible for SSI if your account contains more than $2,000 ($3,000 for a couple), or if it contains less but your total countable assets, including the savings, exceed those figures.
There is, however, a limit on how much of your money is protected by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC). The FDIC insures bank accounts in the very rare event of a bank failure. As of 2022, the FDIC coverage limit is $250,000 per depositor, per account ownership type, per financial institution.
Key Takeaways. Savings accounts are a safe place to keep your money because all deposits made by consumers are guaranteed by the FDIC for bank accounts or the NCUA for credit union accounts. Certificates of deposit (CDs) issued by banks and credit unions also carry deposit insurance.
According to the SSA's 2021 Annual Statistical Supplement, the monthly benefit amount for retired workers claiming benefits at age 62 earning the average wage was $1,480 per month for the worker alone. The benefit amount for workers with spouses claiming benefits was $2,170 at age 62.
It cited one study showing that millennials had higher balances in their 401(k)s than Gen Xers did at the same age. The ConsumerAffairs survey of 1,000 Americans (including 205 retirees) found that the average retirement savings among respondents is $167,944.
An Inheritance Can Impact SSI Benefits
If you are the beneficiary of an inheritance, you are required by federal law to report it to the Social Security Administration, even if you choose not to accept the inheritance.
The maximum benefit depends on the age you retire. For example, if you retire at full retirement age in 2022, your maximum benefit would be $3,345. However, if you retire at age 62 in 2022, your maximum benefit would be $2,364. If you retire at age 70 in 2022, your maximum benefit would be $4,194.
But if you can supplement your retirement income with other savings or sources of income, then $6,000 a month could be a good starting point for a comfortable retirement.
However once you are at full retirement age (between 65 and 67 years old, depending on your year of birth) your Social Security payments can no longer be withheld if, when combined with your other forms of income, they exceed the maximum threshold.
As of October 2021 (the most recently available month), the average Social Security check benefit for retired workers was $1,562.66 per month.
Under the Bank Secrecy Act, banks and other financial institutions must report cash deposits greater than $10,000. But since many criminals are aware of that requirement, banks also are supposed to report any suspicious transactions, including deposit patterns below $10,000.
The Takeaway
So, can the government take money out of your bank account? The answer is yes – sort of. While the government may not be the one directly taking the money out of someone's account, they can permit an employer or financial institution to do so.
Another red flag that you have too much cash in your savings account is if you exceed the $250,000 limit set by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) — obviously not a concern for the average saver.
There's no legal limit on how much money you can keep at home. Some limits exist with bringing money into the country and in the form of cash gifts, but there's no regulation on how much you can keep at home.
Bottom line. Any individual or entity that has more than $250,000 in deposits at an FDIC-insured bank should see to it that all monies are federally insured. It's not only diligent savers and high-net-worth individuals who might need extra FDIC coverage.
The SSDI program does not limit the amount of cash, assets, or resources an applicant owns. An SSDI applicant can own two houses, five cars, and have $1,000,000 in the bank. And the SSDI program doesn't have a limit to the amount of unearned income someone can bring in; for instance, dividends from investments.