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what is the best age to take social security benefits

by Palma Grant Published 2 years ago Updated 1 year ago
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When it comes to calculating the best age for starting to collect your Social Security benefits, there's no one-size-fits all answer. As a rule, it's best to delay if you can. If you're in good health and don't need supplemental income, wait until age 70.Jan 19, 2022

What age is best to start taking social security?

There are many factors that can influence the best time for you:

  • Are you married or single?
  • What is the age difference between you and spouse, if married.
  • What is the income difference between you and your spouse, if married.
  • Do you have children age 18 or younger?
  • Are you widowed?
  • Are you still working or fully retired?

More items...

When is good time to start receiving Social Security benefits?

When Is the Best Time to File for Social Security Benefits?

  • The decision to file for Social Security is complex and deserves careful thought. Many retirees lose out on valuable benefits because they collect too early.
  • If you can postpone filing until you reach 70, your benefit could increase about 8% a year. ...
  • If you’re married, there are strategies to increase your overall benefit. ...

When should I start collecting Social Security benefits?

The rule of thumb for collecting ... will should they take early distributions. If the spouse is caring for a qualifying child, however, their spousal benefit is not reduced. The Social Security ...

When to start taking your Social Security benefits?

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Is it better to take Social Security at 62 or 67?

There is no definitive answer to when you should collect Social Security benefits, and taking them as soon as you hit the early retirement age of 62 might be the best financial move.

What is the most popular age to take Social Security?

However, the largest percentage of Americans appear to have made up their minds: They start getting their benefits at age 62, according to a 2020 analysis by the Bipartisan Policy Center. In fact, the study found that for both men and women, the most popular ages for beginning benefits are: Age 62. Age 66.

Is it better to take Social Security at 66 or wait until 70?

If you start receiving retirement benefits at age: 67, you'll get 108 percent of the monthly benefit because you delayed getting benefits for 12 months. 70, you'll get 132 percent of the monthly benefit because you delayed getting benefits for 48 months.

What is the best age to retire for Social Security?

Age 62Age 62 (Early Retirement) And, for some retirees, this is the best choice. If you have few other sources of income, for example, and Social Security will put food on the table, then you might have little choice than to claim early. Others choose age 62 because they want to get checks for as long as possible.

Why retiring at 62 is a good idea?

Probably the biggest indicator that it's really ok to retire early is that your debts are paid off, or they're very close to it. Debt-free living, financial freedom, or whichever way you choose to refer it, means you've fulfilled all or most of your obligations, and you'll be under much less strain in the years ahead.

Is it better to retire at 62 or 65?

The short answer is yes. Retirees who begin collecting Social Security at 62 instead of at the full retirement age (67 for those born in 1960 or later) can expect their monthly benefits to be 30% lower. So, delaying claiming until 67 will result in a larger monthly check.

At what age is Social Security no longer taxed?

At 65 to 67, depending on the year of your birth, you are at full retirement age and can get full Social Security retirement benefits tax-free.

What is the average Social Security check at age 66?

$3,240At age 66: $3,240. At age 70: $4,194.

How much Social Security will I get if I make $60000 a year?

That adds up to $2,096.48 as a monthly benefit if you retire at full retirement age. Put another way, Social Security will replace about 42% of your past $60,000 salary. That's a lot better than the roughly 26% figure for those making $120,000 per year.

Is Social Security based on the last 5 years of work?

A: Your Social Security payment is based on your best 35 years of work. And, whether we like it or not, if you don't have 35 years of work, the Social Security Administration (SSA) still uses 35 years and posts zeros for the missing years, says Andy Landis, author of Social Security: The Inside Story, 2016 Edition.

How much will I get from Social Security if I make $30000?

1:252:31How much your Social Security benefits will be if you make $30,000 ...YouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipYou get 32 percent of your earnings between 996. Dollars and six thousand and two dollars whichMoreYou get 32 percent of your earnings between 996. Dollars and six thousand and two dollars which comes out to just under 500 bucks.

How much do you lose if you retire at 65 instead of 66?

File at 65 and you lose 13.33 percent. If your full retirement benefit is $1,500 a month, over 20 years that 13.33 percent penalty adds up to nearly $48,000. AARP's Social Security Calculator can give you a sense of the financial impact of claiming benefits at various ages.

What is the best age to collect Social Security?

By now, you may have heard: 70 is the best age for claiming Social Security benefits. Here’s why. Because you have already reached your full retirement age — age 66 or 67 for most — you’ll receive 100% of the benefits you are entitled to.

Why wait to claim Social Security if married?

One reason for that is Social Security payments are based on mortality tables that have not been updated since 1983. And life expectancies have increased since that time .

Is it hard to beat the potential increases for every year you delay claiming your benefits?

In a low interest rate environment, it’s hard to beat the potential increases for every year you delay claiming your benefits, Jones said.

Is it a good idea to postpone retirement benefits?

Postponing benefits only makes sense for certain people, particularly those who are claiming based on their own work records and who expect to live a long time in retirement.

Does a lower earner spouse have to wait to claim their retirement benefits?

For the lower-earning spouse, it generally does not pay to wait to claim beyond full retirement age, Jones said. That is because they have a choice between their own benefits or spousal or survivor benefits based on their spouse’s record, whichever is higher.

What is the decision to receive retirement benefits?

Deciding when to start receiving your retirement benefit is a personal decision, based on many factors that are unique to each individual. For example, in addition to the monthly benefit amount, you may want to consider personal and family circumstances, including whether you are working or plan to work, current and future financial resources and obligations, and current and anticipated health and longevity.

Is it important to decide when to start receiving Social Security?

Choosing when to start receiving your Social Security retirement benefits is an important decision that affects your monthly benefit amount for the rest of your life. Your monthly retirement benefit will be higher if you delay claiming it.

How old do you have to be to get Social Security?

Age 70. Christy Bieber: Not everyone can wait until 70 to claim Social Security benefits. But if you're able to make this plan work, waiting until 70 is often the best choice. That's true both because you'll have more money every month when you'll eventually claim benefits and because you'll maximize the chances of getting ...

What is the earliest age to file for Social Security?

Maurie Backman: Age 62 is the earliest age you can file for Social Security, and if you go this route, you'll reduce your benefits substantially by signing up to receive them well ahead of full retirement age. But in spite of that reduction, 62 is still a great age to claim benefits.

How much does delayed retirement raise Social Security?

These delayed retirement credits raise the amount of your Social Security income by 8% annually for each full year you wait, so can result in hundreds or even thousands of dollars more in annual income. This extra money could really come in handy later in life if your savings starts to run short.

Do you need to claim FRA before or after age?

Keep in mind that this number assumes you'll be claiming at your FRA, so if you claim before or after that age, you'll need to account for adjustments in your benefit amount.

Is 62 a good age to file for Social Security?

But in spite of that reduction, 62 is still a great age to claim benefits. For one thing, filing for Social Security at 62 could be your ticket to early retirement. Many people work hard all their lives and save diligently for the future. If you're one of them, and you can afford your senior living costs based on the money you've socked away in ...

Is it better to retire at 62 or 67?

In fact, research has shown that claiming benefits at 70 is the financially optimum choice for close to 60% of retirees . Of course, claiming at either 62 or 67 could end up being the better option if you die before you make up for forgone benefits -- although you could also end up reducing spousal benefits left to your surviving widow (er) ...

What is the maximum amount of retirement benefits for spouse?

The maximum benefit for the spouse is 50 percent of the benefit the worker would receive at full retirement age. The percent reduction for the spouse should be applied after the automatic 50 percent reduction. Percentages are approximate due to rounding.

What happens if you delay taking your full retirement?

If you delay taking your benefits from your full retirement age up to age 70, your benefit amount will increase. If you start receiving benefits early, your benefits are reduced a small percent for each month before your full retirement age.

Is it better to collect your retirement benefits before retirement?

There are advantages and disadvantages to taking your benefit before your full retirement age. The advantage is that you collect benefits for a longer period of time. The disadvantage is your benefit will be reduced. Each person's situation is different.

When Can I Start Collecting Social Security?

The minimum age to claim benefits is 62. 1 If you are turning 62 and need the income from Social Security to support yourself, then you can start claiming your benefits now. However, if you have enough other income to keep you going until you are older, you may want to delay increasing the size of your monthly benefit.

How much is a month of benefits at 62?

If, for example, you’d get $1,500 a month starting at age 62 or $2,000 a month starting at age 66, you will have received roughly the same amount in total benefits by age 77 or so. At that point the higher monthly benefits you’d get as a result of waiting will begin to pay off.

How much will Social Security be reduced in 2021?

You should also note that if you decide to return to work, even part-time, and aren’t yet at your FRA, your Social Security benefits may be temporarily reduced. The reduction is $1 for every $2 of earned income over $18,960 in 2021 (and $19,560 in 2022). During the year when you reach your FRA, your benefits will be reduced by $1 for every $3 in income over $50,520 in 2021 ($51,960 in 2022) until the month when you become fully eligible. 17 That money isn’t lost, however. The SSA will credit it to your record when you reach your FRA, resulting in a higher benefit. 18

What is the average Medicare premium for 2022?

In 2022, the average monthly premium for Part D will be $33 per month versus $31.47 in 2021. If you enroll in a Medicare Advantage plan, the average monthly premium will be $19 per month in 2022 versus $21.22 in 2021. However, if you are still receiving health insurance from your or your spouse’s employer, you might not yet have to enroll in Medicare. 21

How much extra insurance do you get at 70?

If you wait until you’re 70 to start claiming benefits, you’ll get an extra 8% per year , or, in total, 132% of your primary insurance amount ($2,640 per month in the example above) for the rest of your life.

How much is my unemployment check at 62?

In other words, you’ll get 25% less per month, and your check will be $1,500. 1 .

Does Social Security increase at age 66?

That reduced benefit won’t increase once you reach age 66. Rather, you’ll continue to receive it for the rest of your life. It may go up over time due to cost-of-living adjustments (COLAs), but only slightly. You can do the math for your own situation using the Social Security Administration (SSA) Early or Late Retirement Calculator, one of a number of benefit calculators provided by the SSA that can also help you determine your FRA, the SSA’s estimate of your life expectancy for benefit calculations, rough estimates of your retirement benefits, individualized projections of your benefits based on your personal work record, and more. 5 6

What is the retirement age for Social Security?

Source: Social Security Administration. While the full retirement age used to be 65 , changes to the program have increased that age. For example, those born in 1955 now have to wait an extra two months beyond age 66 to claim their full benefit.

When should you start collecting Social Security benefits?

As mentioned before, you can claim your benefit as early as age 62 , but reaching full retirement age can secure your full benefit.

How much do you get a check for retirement in 2020?

If you reach full retirement age in 2020, the administration deducts $1 of your monthly check for every $3 you earn above $48,600 until the month you reach retirement age. You’ll also owe Social Security and Medicare tax on your earnings, even if you’re already receiving benefits.

How much will my retirement check increase?

So if your full retirement age is 66, then if you can wait two more years and claim benefits at age 68, you’ll increase your monthly check by 16 percent .

What happens to your retirement benefits when you reach full retirement age?

However, when you hit full retirement age, your benefit will increase to account for any benefit that was withheld earlier due to working. Here’s how much you can earn and not get hit.

How much will Social Security increase if you wait to retire?

Every month past your full retirement that you delay, Social Security will increase your check by about 0.7 percent per month.

How much will Social Security be less if you were born in 1961?

Those are big hits for waiting just a few extra years. For example, if you were born in 1961 and file for benefits at age 62, your monthly benefit will be 30 percent less than if you had filed at your full retirement age of 67.

What happens if you wait to claim Social Security at age 70?

So the trade-off is receiving fewer checks from Social Security but the ones you do get would be larger.

What is the maximum age you can retire?

Currently, the full retirement agefor most people is either 66 or 67 years old , based on Social Security Administration guidelines.

What does the break even age mean for Social Security?

Your Social Securitybreak-even age represents, in theory, the ideal point in time to apply for benefits in order to maximize them.

What is break even age?

Your break-even age is the point at which you’d come out ahead by delaying Social Security benefits. Your actual Social Security break-even age can depend on the amount of benefits you’re eligible to receive, your tax situation and things like how inflationmight affect the purchasing power of your benefits.

Can you reduce your Social Security benefits?

That could reduce your benefit amount, make some of your benefits taxable or both. If you earn income above certain thresholds your Social Security benefits could be reduced and you may owe income taxon them as well. That can shrink how far those benefits go in covering your expenses if you’re only semi-retired.

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