So, what's the right answer?
Unfortunately, the answer for when to retire isn't as cut-and-dried as many of us would like it to be. This article looks at both sides of the argument by presenting the facts on how the amount of Social Security benefits you'll receive can change depending on the age that you claim them. Armed with this information, you can make an educated decision about when to retire that's best for you.Sooner versus later
According to the Social Security Administration (SSA):2
- Early retirement is age 62
- Full or “Normal” retirement ranges between age 65 to 67, and is determined by year of birth
- Increases for delayed retirement stop at age 70
If you're eligible, you can apply for Social Security as early as age 62. However, if you do, your benefits could be reduced up to 30 percent. In contrast, by waiting until you reach your full retirement age (or older), you'll receive a larger benefit.3
However, whether or not you're looking at taking Social Security at 62 or later, you should know that the formula used by the SSA is in fact designed to result in the same amount of lifetime benefits — irrespective of when you decide to retire and apply for Social Security. That's right.
According to the U.S. Government Accountability Office:
“The Social Security benefit formula adjusts monthly payments so that someone living to average life expectancy should receive about the same amount of benefits over their lifetime regardless of which age they claim."4
Another way to look at it is while people who choose to take their benefits early may receive a greater number of checks over their lifetime, those who wait could very well go on to live well into their 80s and beyond and collecting just as much.
However, that doesn't mean that when you retire and apply for benefits is irrelevant. In fact, it's quite the opposite. According to the SSA, the decision as to whether or not it's better to wait to retire is a personal financial decision that depends on many factors such as:
- Your current cash needs
- Other income sources
- Health concerns
- Family longevity
- Whether you plan on working part-time while in retirement
In addition, the SSA recommends before making your decision when to retire that you calculate your future Social Security benefits, and review your retirement plan, and consider you financial needs and obligations.
Don't leave your retirement income up to chance. Instead, take the time to weigh all the facts before making a decision about when to retire. For more information on how Social Security benefits are calculated, as well as an online calculator to compute the financial effects of taking an early or delayed retirement, visit the SSA website at http://www.ssa.gov.
1. http://www.ssa.gov/news/press/basicfact.html
2 http://www.ssa.gov/oact/quickcalc/early_late.html
3. http://www.ssa.gov/oact/quickcalc/early_late.html
4. https://www.gao.gov/assets/670/662727.pdf
WEB.1919.02.16
