Image source: Pixabay.For retired Americans, there's probably no program more important than Social Security. More than 40 million retired workers were receiving monthly benefit payments as of March 2016, with a recent Gallup poll suggesting that almost 6-in-10 current retirees consider Social Security to be a "major source" of income.There's no denying how much Social Security has helped provide a financial foundation for seniors over seven-plus decades.