12 facts the Social Security Administration wants you to know

When it comes to the nation's most important social programs for seniors, Social Security is arguably at the top of the list. The guaranteed monthly income it provides to eligible retirees will prove critical in helping millions of retired workers, and perhaps even their families, meet their financial obligations.

Yet one of the biggest issues with Social Security, year in and year out, is a lack of understanding of the program. The Social Security Administration (SSA) tries to curb this lack of knowledge with the publication of fact sheets twice yearly, as well as general Q&A-styled pages that help spell out who qualifies, and how much the average American can be expected to receive. Recently, based on December 2016 statistics, the SSA published its first 2017 fact sheet, and it's packed with statistics that current and future retirees should be aware of. Following are 12 facts the SSA wants you to know about Social Security.