Average Monthly Wage (amw)

Definition of "Average monthly wage (amw)"

Ann Raskauskas real estate agent

Written by

Ann Raskauskaselite badge icon

Bethany Area Realty

Figure used in calculating a worker's primary insurance amount (PIA) to determine Social Security benefits in the following manner:

  1. calculate the number of years between the worker's twenty-first birthday and the year prior to the worker reaching age 62 (a maximum of 40 years).
  2. exclude the five lowest years of earnings, thereby selecting the 35 highest years (420 months) of earnings.
  3. divide the total of the 35 highest years of earnings by 420 months to calculate the Average Monthly Wage.
A Social Security Administration table shows the PIA for the Average Monthly Wage calculated in Step 3. The PIA is then increased to reflect the COST-OF-LIVING ADJUSTMENT (COLA) to determine the actual benefit.

image of a real estate dictionary page

Have a question or comment?

We're here to help.

*** Your email address will remain confidential.
 

 

Popular Insurance Terms

Arrangement by an employer in which employees share in profits of the business. To be a qualified plan, a predetermined formula must be used to determine contributions to the plan and ...

Actual amount of total losses paid by an insurance company during a specified time interval. ...

Entitlement to pension benefits without a reduction, even though an employee is no longer in the service of an employer at retirement. For example, under the ten year vesting rule, an ...

Under Section 1035 of the Internal Revenue Code, stipulation that the exchange of one life insurance policy for another life insurance policy will generally not result in a recognized gain ...

Coverage for liability exposure resulting from the activities of a business; includes: direct liability acts of the business resulting in damage or destruction of another party's property ...

Association of life insurance companies focusing on legislation and public relations that may affect the life insurance business on federal, state, and local levels. Membership is composed ...

Method of accessing capital by the insurance industry in order to hedge against a future catastrophic occurrence. The mechanism works as follows: Primary insurance company AJAX pays a ...

Annuity contract. If the annuitant dies before receiving income at least equal to the premiums paid, a beneficiary receives the difference in installments. If the annuitant lives after the ...

Insurance policy that pays a face amount/ lump sum if the insured is diagnosed with a specified critical illness. This sum is paid directly to the insured regardless of any other sources of ...

Popular Insurance Questions