Is delaying Social Security still smart?

Claiming Social Security before you reach full retirement age (FRA) will result in a reduction in benefits — as much as 25% to 30% less than you would have received if you had waited. That reduction is permanent.

Is it worth waiting till 70 to collect Social Security?

When you reach age 70, your monthly benefit stops increasing even if you continue to delay taking benefits. If you decide to delay your retirement, be sure to sign up for Medicare at age 65. In some circumstances, medical insurance costs more if you delay applying for it.

Is it better to take SS at 62 or 66?

You can start receiving your Social Security retirement benefits as early as age 62. However, you are entitled to full benefits when you reach your full retirement age. If you delay taking your benefits from your full retirement age up to age 70, your benefit amount will increase.

How much more do you get by delaying Social Security?

You'll get an extra 2/3 of 1% for each month you delay after your birthday month, adding up to 8% for each full year you wait until age 70. The clock starts ticking the month you reach full retirement age. For example, if you were born on April 24, you'd reach your full retirement age on April 1.

Why is it better to take Social Security at age 66 instead of 70?

Live it up.

Your monthly payment in such an event will be 32% higher than if you begin receiving benefits at age 66. So long as you live to your early 80s, those higher monthly payments should make up for the foregone income over the four years from age 66 to 70.

InvestTalk - 10-13-2022 – Is Delaying Social Security Still Smart?

What is the Social Security loophole?

The Voluntary Suspension Loophole

This Social Security loophole allowed a married worker to voluntarily suspend his/her own benefits after full retirement age, allowing the spouse to receive spousal benefits while the worker was not collecting benefits.

What is the best age to take Social Security?

From a Social Security standpoint, you can start getting lower benefits as early as age 62, or you can delay retirement up to age 70 for your maximum monthly benefit amount. At age 62, your benefit amount is about 25 percent lower than your full benefit at age 66.

What happens if I retire but delay Social Security?

If you have reached full retirement age, but are not yet age 70, you can ask us to suspend your retirement benefit payments. By doing this, you will earn delayed retirement credits for each month your benefits are suspended which will result in a higher benefit payment to you.

Does delaying Social Security deliver an 8% return?

One of the most commonly given reasons for delaying Social Security is that doing so “provides you an 8% return.” But that's just not true.

What is the Social Security 5 year rule?

You must have worked and paid Social Security taxes in five of the last 10 years. If you also get a pension from a job where you didn't pay Social Security taxes (e.g., a civil service or teacher's pension), your Social Security benefit might be reduced.

Do millionaires collect Social Security?

Although to some degree it might seem as if billionaires and millionaires in the U.S. shouldn't be collecting Social Security, the truth is there is no law against it, and mathematically it makes sense.

What is the average Social Security check at age 62?

The amount you are entitled to is modified by other factors, most crucially the age at which you claim benefits. For reference, the average Social Security retirement benefit in 2023 is an estimated $1,827 a month.

Why not take Social Security at 62?

You'll receive reduced monthly payments

One of the biggest downsides of claiming Social Security at 62 is that you'll receive less money each month. By claiming at 62, your benefits will be reduced by up to 30% compared to if you'd waited until your FRA to claim.

Does it make sense to wait to collect Social Security?

While there's no "correct" claiming age for everybody, the rule of thumb is that if you can afford to wait, delaying Social Security can pay off over a long retirement.

Is it better to take Social Security at 67 or 70?

If you wait until you are 70 to take your Social Security benefit, you will receive monthly payments that are 32% higher than the benefits you would have received at age 66, which is the retirement age for many Americans.

Should I take Social Security at 68 or 70?

When it comes to taking Social Security retirement benefits, the common refrain is that it is generally best to wait until age 70 to claim. That is the date when you will get the highest benefit — your full retirement age amount — plus increases for every year that you held off collecting.

How do I get the $16728 Social Security bonus?

Who is eligible for Social Security bonus? For every year that you delay claiming past full retirement age, your monthly benefits will get an 8% “bonus.” That amounts to a whopping 24% if you wait to file until age 70.

What is the average Social Security check at age 65?

That's based on the agency's estimate that the average annual benefit is $29,806 for Social Security recipients who are age 65.

What is the big retroactive check from Social Security?

If you apply one to five months after you reach FRA, you can get retroactive benefits in a lump sum for that number of months. If you file six months or more past full retirement age, you can get up to six months in back benefits.

What happens if I retire at 62 and delay Social Security?

Waiting to Claim Later: If you choose to delay the benefits beyond your full retirement age, then you will receive a bonus of between 3 and 8% (depending on your birth-year) to your social security for every year that you delay your benefits up to the age of 70.

Should I delay Social Security and use 401k?

Experts say that serious concerns about Social Security's long-term viability aside, using 401(k) assets as a bridge to a bigger Social Security benefit makes sense. Claiming Social Security at age 70 versus 62 — the earliest eligibility — translates to a massive increase in the monthly benefit.

Do you live longer if you retire early?

The finding echoes a few others, the New York Times reports: “An analysis in the United States found about seven years of retirement can be as good for health as reducing the chance of getting a serious disease (like diabetes or heart conditions) by 20 percent.

What is the average Social Security check?

As of October 2022, the average check is $1,550.48, according to the Social Security Administration – but that amount can differ drastically depending on the type of recipient. In fact, retirees typically make more than the overall average.

Is it better to take Social Security at 64 or 67?

While you can begin taking Social Security as early as age 62, you'll receive your entire benefit if you delay until your full retirement age. In fact, Social Security will pay you a bonus if you wait until after full retirement age to claim your benefits. So, there's extra incentive to wait, if you can.

Will Social Security be around in 30 years?

Bottom line. Current workers will still receive Social Security benefits after the trust fund's reserves become depleted in 2034, but it's possible that future retirees will only receive 78% of their full benefits unless Congress acts.