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Social Security

Choosing when to begin receiving Social Security benefits is an important part of deciding when to retire. If you choose to start receiving benefits when you reach full retirement age, you will receive your full benefit. If you delay claiming benefits beyond full retirement age, you can earn credits that increase your monthly benefit by about eight percent for each year you delay claiming, up to age 70. If you start collecting Social Security benefits before you reach full retirement age, your benefits will be reduced by up to 30 percent, depending on when your benefits start.

Social Security’s full retirement age depends on the year in which you were born. If you were born in 1942 or earlier, you are already eligible for your full Social Security benefit. If you were born between 1943 and 1954, your full retirement age is 66. If you were born between 1955 and 1959, your full retirement age increases gradually until it reaches age 67 for those born in 1960 or later.

If you claim benefits before your full retirement age and continue to work, your income will be subject to the retirement earnings test and your benefits could be reduced if your earnings exceed a certain limit. However, once you reach full retirement age, your monthly benefit will be increased permanently to account for any months in which benefits were reduced. The retirement earnings test no longer applies after you attain your full retirement age and your benefit will not be reduced no matter how much you earn. Once you claim benefits, your benefits will be adjusted annually to reflect the increase, if any, in the cost-of-living.