Benefit Calculators
The best way to start planning for your future is by creating a my Social Security account online. With my Social Security, you can verify your earnings, get your Social Security Statement, and much more – all from the comfort of your home or office.
Online Benefits Calculator
These tools can be accurate but require access to your official earnings record in our database. The simplest way to do that is by creating or logging in to your my Social Security account. The other way is to answer a series of questions to prove your identity.
Additional Online Tools
Find your full retirement age and learn how your monthly benefits may be reduced if you retire before your full retirement age.
What are the advantages and disadvantages of taking your retirement benefits 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.
What happens if you delay your retirement?
If you delay your benefits until after full retirement age, you will be eligible for delayed retirement credits that would increase your monthly benefit. That there are other things to consider when making the decision about when to begin receiving your retirement benefits.
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.
How does Social Security affect retirement?
Social Security benefits in retirement are impacted by three main criteria: the year you were born, the age you plan on electing (begin taking) benefits and your annual income in your working years. First we take your annual income and we adjust it by the Average Wage Index (AWI), to get your indexed earnings.
How long do you have to be a Social Security employee to get full benefits?
Anyone who pays into Social Security for at least 40 calendar quarters (10 years) is eligible for retirement benefits based on their earnings record. You are eligible for your full benefits once you reach full retirement age, which is either 66 and 67, depending on when you were born.
What age do you have to be to claim Social Security?
If you claim Social Security benefits early and then continue working, you’ll be subject to what’s called the Retirement Earnings Test. If you’re between age 62 and your full retirement age, and you’re claiming benefits, you need to know about the Earnings Test Exempt Amount, a threshold that changes yearly.
How long do I have to work to get Social Security?
To get your social security benefits we do a couple things. First we assume that you have or will work for 35 years before electing social security benefits (this is needed to calculate your benefits) We then take your income and we adjust it by the Average Wage Index (AWI), to account for the rise in the standard of living during your working ...
How much will Social Security be in 2052?
starting in 2052 at age 66: $48,771. The earliest you can begin receiving benefits is at age 62. Spouse's annual Social Security benefit. The earliest you can begin receiving benefits is at age 62. Social Security Benefits Accounting for Inflation: 1st year of benefits through age 95.
Does Social Security protect against inflation?
That means the retirement income you collect from Social Security has built-in protection against inflation. For many people, Social Security is the only form of retirement income they have that is directly linked to inflation. It’s a big perk that doesn’t get a lot of attention.
Is Social Security a tax?
You may hear people grumbling about the Social Security “Earnings Tax”, but it’s not really a tax. It’s a deferment of your benefits designed to keep you from spending too much too soon. And after you hit your full retirement age, you can work to your heart’s content without any reduction in your benefits.
What is the maximum amount you can earn before retirement in 2021?
If you will reach full retirement age in 2021, the limit on your earnings for the months before full retirement age is $50,520. Starting with the month you reach full retirement age, you can get your benefits with no limit on your earnings.
What is the maximum amount you can earn in 2021?
For 2021 that limit is $18,960. In the year you reach full retirement age, we deduct $1 in benefits for every $3 you earn above a different limit, but we only count earnings before the month you reach your full retirement age. If you will reach full retirement age in 2021, the limit on your earnings for the months before full retirement age is ...
Can you report a change in earnings after retirement?
If you need to report a change in your earnings after you begin receiving benefits: If you receive benefits and are under full retirement age and you think your earnings will be different than what you originally told us, let us know right away. You cannot report a change of earnings online.
What is Social Security income?
Social Security income is an important source of income for retirees in America. The process of applying for and calculating benefits can be complex. Maximizing benefits may mean taking past income and age into account when deciding on when to start benefits.
How are Social Security benefits calculated?
How Benefits Are Calculated. Social Security benefits are calculated based on your 35 highest-earning working years. 8 Therefore, if you keep working and earn a higher salary in your 60s than you did earlier in your career, you could boost your Social Security payments even more.
What happens after you apply for Social Security?
After you apply, the Social Security Administration will review your application and contact you if it requires additional information. If it has all the necessary documents, the SSA will process your application and mail you a letter detailing its final determination. 7.
How many people don't know if they can save enough to retire?
A study by Wells Fargo found that the COVID-19 pandemic found that 31% of boomers don't know if they can save enough to retire due to the impact of the pandemic. Thirty-five percent of retirees reported not knowing how to best protect their assets during an economic downturn. Thirty-seven percent of retirees reported being worried about running out of money during retirement. 11
How many people will live past 90 in 2020?
One in three 65-year-olds in 2020 will live past age 90, and one in seven will live past age 95, according to the Social Security Administration. 12. "Because Social Security is a guaranteed monthly payment that is adjusted for inflation, it can be extremely important for recipients who live into their 90s.
How much will Social Security pay in 2021?
American workers pay Social Security taxes on their income. If they have paid enough into the system by the time they retire, they are eligible to receive benefits. 2 In April 2021, the average retired beneficiary received a monthly payout of $1,552.12. 3 In 2021, if the beneficiary is below the full retirement age, ...
When is the retirement age for 2021?
Updated May 30, 2021. For millions of Americans, the most anticipated upcoming birthdays aren't whole numbers but fractions, like 66 and 2 months, or 66 and 4 months. That's because, for Americans born between 1955 and 1959, full retirement age occurs sometime between their 66th and 67th birthdays.
