If you want to be financially secure in retirement, then making the most of Social Security can be critical in putting together a smart financial plan. The perfect retirement strategy involves a combination of Social Security benefits, private pension payments, and income from your own retirement nest egg. But with many companies no longer offering private pensions, and with the retirement savings crisis in America hampering many people's ability to set enough money aside for their golden years, Social Security is playing an even more important financial role for retirees.Social Security calculates how much money you get in monthly benefits based on your work history during your career.