Who We Are

With 9,000 possible claiming options to choose from, a Social Security Administration known for giving conflicting answers, and hundreds of thousand of dollars on the line…  How do you know that you’re maximizing your Social Security Benefits?

Social Security Education Center’s purpose is to educate Americans on their benefit options. There’s no one right or wrong way to claim benefits, but we find when people are educated, they are confident that they are making the right decision for themselves.

Social Security Education Center

“Social Security is about as complicated a fiscal system as is humanly possible to design.”
-Laurence Kotlikoff, Boston University Economics Professor

What People Are Saying...

“By attending this class, I found that I was eligible for over 90k of additional Social Security benefits that I was unaware of!”
-Bobbi W

“I loved that Matt was a CPA and that he makes difficult things simple to understand…

I appreciated the touches of humor and first-hand stories he was able to share.”

-Shauna G

“Cannot recommend enough… Matt is so knowledgeable, kind, and helpful! His passion and enthusiasm (and humor!) are contagious”

– Devon N

WHAT WE DO

About SSEC

Social Security Education Center, a not-for-profit corporation, was created by 2 CPAs who noticed an enormous gap in the planning of their retirement-age clients: Social Security makes up a large chunk of most Americans’ retirements; however, most Americans don’t have any sort of plan or strategy for how to claim Social Security benefits.

SSEC is dedicated to educating those approaching Social Security age about their options so that they can strategize and maximize what they receive from Social Security. Our classes are strictly educational and are taught in various libraries and community centers across the state of Colorado.

Our Mission

To educate those approaching retirement about their Social Security options so that before they ever go to claim benefits, they have a plan and a strategy that they feel comfortable with.

The Hope

By having a plan and a strategy, retirees will have the peace of mind that they made the best decision possible for themselves and their families.

Matt Johnson, CPA

Matt Johnson is a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) who specializes in retirement planning. He is the founder of Roots First Financial. Matt is a graduate of Brigham Young University where he received his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in accounting. He began his career in Big 4 public accounting with Ernst & Young where he remained for 5 years. Matt then shifted focus to financial services with a specific emphasis on tax planning and social security in retirement.

Richard Staves, CPA, PFS, CRPC ®, AIF ®

Richard Staves, CPA, PFS, CRPC ®, AIF ®

Richard Staves is an experienced retirement and financial planner and is currently the Managing Member of Cherry Creek Wealth Management, Inc. The focus of his practice is assisting individuals in designing a lifetime retirement plan using annuities, life insurance, investments and maximizing Social Security while at the same time, reducing income taxes.

FREE TO ATTEND

Social Security 101 - Live Workshops

For many Americans, Social Security makes up a significant piece of their retirement. The value of a stream of monthly payments over the course of a married couple’s retirement is oftentimes well over $1 Million!  Because of this, it is critical to have a plan and to have a strategy before you ever decide to turn on your Social Security benefits. That is what this workshop is dedicated to… helping you to formulate a plan and a strategy.

Location
Date
Address
Presenter
Registration

Frisco, TX

Tues: March 4th, 6:00pm
-or-
Tues: March 11th, 6:00pm

Frisco Public Library
Community Room A/B 8000 Dallas Parkway Frisco, TX 75034

John Congdon

Highlands Ranch, CO

Thurs: March 20th, 6:30pm - 8:00pm
-or-
Sat: March 22nd, 10:30am - 12:00pm

Highlands Ranch Library
9292 South Ridgeline Boulevard Highlands Ranch, CO 80129

Matt Johnson

Downers Grove, IL

Thursday: March 27th, 11:30am
-or-
Monday: March 31st, 6:30pm

Downers Grove Rec Center
4500 Belmont Road Downers Grove, IL 60515

Joshua Bretl

Carol Stream, IL

Tuesday, April 8th, 11:30am
-or-
Tuesday, April 8th, 6:30pm
-or-
Thursday, April 10th, 6:30pm

Fountain View Rec Center
910 North Gary Avenue Carol Stream, IL 60188

Joshua Bretl

Littleton, CO

Tues: April 15th, 6:30pm - 8:00pm
-or-
Thurs: April 17th, 6:30pm - 8:00pm

Peak Community & Wellness Center
6612 S Ward St Littleton, CO 80127

Matt Johnson

Learning Center

Check out some of our blogs below!