We both had registered for SS online while living in the US. But for a variety of reasons - including any contact with SS - we both kept our US cellphone numbers by using 2 sim cards on our phones (one for the US number and one for the PT number). It costs a little more but right now, it's worth it for us. Hope it all works out for Denise!
I tried to get a balance update for my SS last year. For 2FA, they sent a voicemail to my ported U.S. number. Unfortunately, for some reason, half the code doesn't make it into the voicemail, so I too, was left with the option of going in person.
It seems typical that for something I think the U.S. largely does well, the government handles terribly. When we leave Denmark, I will miss the MIT ID system (national identifier, like a SSN), and the easy authentication. I'll also miss the ease of MobilePay, which largely bypasses banks (and eliminates things like checks, and overdraft fees, and all those "extra" charges American banks so love). That said, MIT ID and MobilePay have been the rare things we've found in Denmark that work well technologically. Most of the business websites here link to never updated Facebook pages or Instagram accounts, and few of them respond to an email query, depending on you to call them (and even then, hit or miss as to whether they return that call).
Onward and upward--maybe my hopes for Star Trek Federation style-ease will come to fruition someday!
Thanks for this post! Good to know about "parking your number". This is something we are going to have to address soon. I have had my 212 (NYC) area code number for nearly 20 years and would hate to part with it.
I'm still a few years from qualifying for SS, but I have had an online account for a number of years. I periodically log on just to see that things look correct. Your post today prompted me to add the option to have two factor verification sent in an email as well as update my password as it has been the same for past six years, and it wasn't very good.
I like this post Nancy. I too like spreadsheets and forecasts. They help, and provide information that can help people plan. I am registered on the SSA website, and check at least 1x per year to get an updated forecast. I am also waiting until I am 70 to get the most out of the SSA. I need to check with Andrea to see if she is registered, my guess is that she is not at her age of 54 presently.
This is a great reminder for folks. I too enjoy checking my SS account at least 2x per year to get my info and am always surprised when I talk to people who have never set up an account. Thank you for your public service announcement.
Having experienced a number of ordeals as I go through the process of obtaining SSDI benefits, I can relate to much of this frustration! The SSA office in the Lisbon embassy is open for phone calls for precisely two hours a week on Wednesday afternoons, but good luck actually getting anyone to pick up! Usually the call just gets dropped because there are too many calls for the system to handle. I've had better luck getting email responses, but replies can take weeks and in the meanwhile you get left in the dark about what's going on. I had the same experience of being told I would get a call, but no mention of when.
I have to wonder if we Americans just have expectations of knowing what to expect that the Portuguese don't have, because we've experienced this in every regard, from medical appointments to dealing with the cell phone and Internet company to deliveries and handyman services. Being left wondering and unable to plan your day, week, or month just seems to be the way it is!
I just asked my partner if she already has an SSA online account, and she does not, so when retirement time comes, we'll remember to start early for her and plan a trip to the Lisbon embassy! Thanks for sharing your experience!
This is great info, and fwiw, I love a good spreadsheet. I too am hoping to hold out until 70, but am approaching Medicare age, were you both signed up for Medicare already before you moved to Portugal?
OMG Nancy, Deja Vu. We are friends with Mike and Mary. That's how I got connected to your site.
Too funny, because my wife keeps a very similar spreadsheet with 5 to 10 separate tabs. She has me dying off at 87.5 so I need to my money needs to last another 25.5 years. LOL. Thanks for posting.
I'm only 55, but I created an ID.ME login for both my SSA and IRS accounts prior to moving.
Important tip: Nearly every person I speak with has a really outdated approach to two-factor authentication (2FA). My number one piece of advice is to 100% stop relying on SMS text messages for those 2FA codes. While it is better than no 2FA at all, there are security flaws, and SMS texts after you've moved from the US are very inconvenient. There are several *much* better ways to handle 2FA that are both more secure and more convenient.
The main downside of these newer 2FA methods are that they are unfamiliar, and also take some time to initially set up. The other flaw is that some banks and other online services do not support modern 2FA methods, and insist on clinging to the outdated SMS text route.
So - better ways to do 2FA, especially if you leave the US include:
* Use a 2FA code generating app on your phone. Some popular options include Authy, Google Authenticator, or Duo.
* Use a password manager (which everyone should be doing anyway) that offers 2FA. 1Password or BitWarden are excellent choices. Avoid LastPass like the plague. These password managers also have built in code generating features for those 6-digit codes.
* Get a hardware key, such as the Yubi Key. These little devices either plug into your computer, or use NFC radio signal to wireless connect to your phone or tablet. Super secure and easy.
* Start using "passkeys" which completely do away with the need for a username and password. Look for a YouTuber named Shannon Morse who does a great job explaining passkeys.
For those using Google Voice for 2FA, please reconsider. First, it is still the less secure way of relying on SMS text messages, but that security concern is compounded by the fact that GV violates one of the key principles of 2FA. The two factors are "something you know" and "something you have". With VoIP systems like GV, the "something you have" is no longer tied to a single device in your possession. Anyone with login to your Google account will have access to ALL of your accounts, from anywhere in the world. That is why Google will not let you use a GV number as 2FA for your Google account. Also, if you dig deep into the T's&C's of GV, you'll find that it is not for use outside the US. Sure, you can "get away with it", but there's nothing preventing Google from pulling the plug on your service, and that does happen to some folks. Better to get a "real" phone service like Tello. Yes, it costs $60 per year, but there are many advantages.
Sorry for the rambling comment, but there are much better ways of dealing with it.
We both had registered for SS online while living in the US. But for a variety of reasons - including any contact with SS - we both kept our US cellphone numbers by using 2 sim cards on our phones (one for the US number and one for the PT number). It costs a little more but right now, it's worth it for us. Hope it all works out for Denise!
Amazing! Just went and added Authy so I can authenticate outside US. Great info, thank you!
I tried to get a balance update for my SS last year. For 2FA, they sent a voicemail to my ported U.S. number. Unfortunately, for some reason, half the code doesn't make it into the voicemail, so I too, was left with the option of going in person.
It seems typical that for something I think the U.S. largely does well, the government handles terribly. When we leave Denmark, I will miss the MIT ID system (national identifier, like a SSN), and the easy authentication. I'll also miss the ease of MobilePay, which largely bypasses banks (and eliminates things like checks, and overdraft fees, and all those "extra" charges American banks so love). That said, MIT ID and MobilePay have been the rare things we've found in Denmark that work well technologically. Most of the business websites here link to never updated Facebook pages or Instagram accounts, and few of them respond to an email query, depending on you to call them (and even then, hit or miss as to whether they return that call).
Onward and upward--maybe my hopes for Star Trek Federation style-ease will come to fruition someday!
Good advice. The 3rd of the month = payday!
This whole process looks very complicated and lengthy! You did well setting up your online account before leaving the US.
Very interesting post! We ported our us phone numbers to Google voice, and it works perfectly for 2fa. Boa sorte!!!
Thanks for this post! Good to know about "parking your number". This is something we are going to have to address soon. I have had my 212 (NYC) area code number for nearly 20 years and would hate to part with it.
I'm still a few years from qualifying for SS, but I have had an online account for a number of years. I periodically log on just to see that things look correct. Your post today prompted me to add the option to have two factor verification sent in an email as well as update my password as it has been the same for past six years, and it wasn't very good.
I like this post Nancy. I too like spreadsheets and forecasts. They help, and provide information that can help people plan. I am registered on the SSA website, and check at least 1x per year to get an updated forecast. I am also waiting until I am 70 to get the most out of the SSA. I need to check with Andrea to see if she is registered, my guess is that she is not at her age of 54 presently.
This is a great reminder for folks. I too enjoy checking my SS account at least 2x per year to get my info and am always surprised when I talk to people who have never set up an account. Thank you for your public service announcement.
great info, we are both drawing our SS.
Your spreadsheets look awfully similar to ours!
Having experienced a number of ordeals as I go through the process of obtaining SSDI benefits, I can relate to much of this frustration! The SSA office in the Lisbon embassy is open for phone calls for precisely two hours a week on Wednesday afternoons, but good luck actually getting anyone to pick up! Usually the call just gets dropped because there are too many calls for the system to handle. I've had better luck getting email responses, but replies can take weeks and in the meanwhile you get left in the dark about what's going on. I had the same experience of being told I would get a call, but no mention of when.
I have to wonder if we Americans just have expectations of knowing what to expect that the Portuguese don't have, because we've experienced this in every regard, from medical appointments to dealing with the cell phone and Internet company to deliveries and handyman services. Being left wondering and unable to plan your day, week, or month just seems to be the way it is!
I just asked my partner if she already has an SSA online account, and she does not, so when retirement time comes, we'll remember to start early for her and plan a trip to the Lisbon embassy! Thanks for sharing your experience!
This is great info, and fwiw, I love a good spreadsheet. I too am hoping to hold out until 70, but am approaching Medicare age, were you both signed up for Medicare already before you moved to Portugal?
OMG Nancy, Deja Vu. We are friends with Mike and Mary. That's how I got connected to your site.
Too funny, because my wife keeps a very similar spreadsheet with 5 to 10 separate tabs. She has me dying off at 87.5 so I need to my money needs to last another 25.5 years. LOL. Thanks for posting.
John
I'm only 55, but I created an ID.ME login for both my SSA and IRS accounts prior to moving.
Important tip: Nearly every person I speak with has a really outdated approach to two-factor authentication (2FA). My number one piece of advice is to 100% stop relying on SMS text messages for those 2FA codes. While it is better than no 2FA at all, there are security flaws, and SMS texts after you've moved from the US are very inconvenient. There are several *much* better ways to handle 2FA that are both more secure and more convenient.
The main downside of these newer 2FA methods are that they are unfamiliar, and also take some time to initially set up. The other flaw is that some banks and other online services do not support modern 2FA methods, and insist on clinging to the outdated SMS text route.
So - better ways to do 2FA, especially if you leave the US include:
* Use a 2FA code generating app on your phone. Some popular options include Authy, Google Authenticator, or Duo.
* Use a password manager (which everyone should be doing anyway) that offers 2FA. 1Password or BitWarden are excellent choices. Avoid LastPass like the plague. These password managers also have built in code generating features for those 6-digit codes.
* Get a hardware key, such as the Yubi Key. These little devices either plug into your computer, or use NFC radio signal to wireless connect to your phone or tablet. Super secure and easy.
* Start using "passkeys" which completely do away with the need for a username and password. Look for a YouTuber named Shannon Morse who does a great job explaining passkeys.
For those using Google Voice for 2FA, please reconsider. First, it is still the less secure way of relying on SMS text messages, but that security concern is compounded by the fact that GV violates one of the key principles of 2FA. The two factors are "something you know" and "something you have". With VoIP systems like GV, the "something you have" is no longer tied to a single device in your possession. Anyone with login to your Google account will have access to ALL of your accounts, from anywhere in the world. That is why Google will not let you use a GV number as 2FA for your Google account. Also, if you dig deep into the T's&C's of GV, you'll find that it is not for use outside the US. Sure, you can "get away with it", but there's nothing preventing Google from pulling the plug on your service, and that does happen to some folks. Better to get a "real" phone service like Tello. Yes, it costs $60 per year, but there are many advantages.
Sorry for the rambling comment, but there are much better ways of dealing with it.
I would like to suggest that everyone download and set up the app id.me. It would make logging to different agencies easy and fast.