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Friday Facts is moving to the GovDelivery e-newsletter system which will require everyone interested in receiving the Friday Facts to subscribe.
If you would like to receive the ISL Friday Facts e-newsletter on an ongoing basis, click here, and enter your email address to subscribe. You can also unsubscribe or subscribe to other Indiana State newsletters through this link.
We will no longer be sending the newsletter out via distribution lists beginning with the September 19, 2014 edition. This is in an effort to provide a quality publication that is of use and interest to all recipients.
 In honor of the 79th Anniversary of the Social Security Act, Acting Commissioner of Social Security, Carolyn W. Colvin invites everyone to celebrate the first annual my Social Security Week, August 17-23. This can be a valuable tool whether retirement is just around the corner or years away! It’s good to see how Social Security is working for you. This site can provide information you need to plan ahead for the retirement you want. Social Security will host events to highlight the benefits of a my Social Security account. This is a personalized online account nearly everyone can establish at www.socialsecurity.gov/myaccount starting with the beginning work years up to the time you receive Social Security Benefits. By establishing this account, people can take control of their future by accessing their online Social Security Statement, which can be used as an effective tool for financial planning for workers 18 and over.
The statement allows workers to verify the accuracy of their earnings each year. This is important because earnings are the basis for determining future retirement benefits. Individuals currently receiving benefits can sign up for a my Social Security account to get an instant benefit verification letter, change their address and phone number, and start or change direct deposit of their benefit payment. To date there are over 13 million people with an account. To celebrate this week, there are many events including a Twitter chat on “my Social Security and Planning for your Financial Future;” my Social Security sign-up events nationwide at local churches, libraries, federal government agencies, employers, youth centers/organizations, senior centers, and many others. Join the millions of others and discover your benefits!
We all want to think we are safe online, that there are extra precautions in place to protect the public and especially young people, and that the web is thoroughly policed. However, the internet is still very new terrain – conceptually, socially, and legally. This can make us vulnerable to predatory activities online. Check out tips for protecting children and handling cyber-bullying here. The Federal Bureau of Investigation produces A Parent's Guide to Internet Safety. The WSJ published an essay in February called, How to Protect Your Kids' Privacy Online, which discusses ways to encourage children to erase their digital footprints.
 Let’s head back to school with some facts about students in the United States.
78 million children and adults were enrolled in school throughout the country in October 2012 (Nursery School to College). This comprised 26.4 percent of the entire population age 3 and older.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, School Enrollment - Social and Economic Characteristics of Students
$8.6 billion is the estimated amount of money spent at family clothing stores in August 2013
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Monthly Retail Trade and Food Services
$82,720 is the average earnings of full-time, year-round workers 18 and older with an advanced degree (bachelor's degree or higher) in 2012. Workers whose highest degree was a bachelor's had mean earnings of $70,432. Mean earnings for full-time, year-round workers with a high school diploma (includes GED certificate) was $41,248, while workers with less than a ninth grade education had $26,679 average earnings.
Source: Income, Poverty, and Health Insurance Coverage in the United States: 2012
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