Probably not. The 40 credits are the minimum number you need to qualify for a benefit. The amount of the benefit, however, is not based on those credits; it's based on your earnings. The Social Security Administration determines your average earnings over your working years and uses a special calculation formula that is set by law. For most people like you who need 40 credits, the Social Security Administration must average their best 35 years of earnings to figure the benefit amount.

Click here to see how the Social Security Administration averages those earnings and how the Social Security Administration uses the formula to calculate your monthly payment.