This booklet contains important information regarding your railroad retirement annuity, including information you will need to know in order to complete your application. We recommend that you read it before you start filling out your application.

Your railroad retirement annuity is affected by certain "events" that may occur. A description of these events and an explanation of how you should report them is covered in the booklet RB-9s, "Events That Affect A Survivor Annuity". Because these events can take place any time after you receive your annuity payments, you should keep this booklet and the RB-9s booklet for future reference. Remember, these events can affect the amount of your payments and whether or not you are eligible to receive them for certain months.

In this booklet, and on the application, these terms are used in the following ways:

• Employee - the person who worked for the railroad.
• Applicant - the person who is applying to receive an annuity based on the employee's railroad work.
• Widow(er) - the employee's widow, widower, or surviving divorced spouse who may be eligible to receive a widow(er)'s annuity.
• Spouse - a person entitled to a spouse annuity or divorced spouse annuity in the month the employee died.
• Full Retirement Age - the age at which you become eligible to receive a full, unreduced for age, annuity.
  • For widow(er) type annuitants born January 1, 1940, and earlier, full retirement age is 65.
  • For widow(er) type annuitants born January 2, 1940, and later, with annuity beginning dates of January 1, 2000, and later, full retirement age is based on the year of birth as shown below.