The final round of September’s Social Security payments, worth up to $4,873 for the highest-income earners who retire at 70, will go out to the third group of retirees today. Here is all you need to know about this month’s Social Security payments,

Eligible children may receive up to half of a parent's full retirement or disability benefit. If the child is receiving Survivor benefits, they may receive up to 75% of the deceased parent's basic Social Security benefit.

It's frustrating, especially for those who aren't able to save as much as they'd like to for retirement on their own. However, while you cannot control what happens to Social Security in the future, there are three key steps you can take to ensure you get as much from the program as possible.