Dear Liz: In your answer to the person who wants to move abroad, you forgot to mention that they would have to have 40 work credits to receive Social Security benefits.
Answer: Actually, the United States has made “totalization agreements” with more than 30 other countries regarding Social Security coverage. Essentially, a worker who doesn’t have enough credits in one country’s Social Security system can use credits from the other country to qualify for benefits. These agreements also ensure that workers don’t face dual taxation; typically, workers abroad who are covered by these agreements pay into the host country’s Social Security system.