Full retirement age
Fear of Insolvency Driving Many Decisions to Claim Benefits Early
It’s not the only reason folks claim Social Security before full retirement age, but the growing anxiety over the program’s financial future has become a significant factor driving early filing. The Schroders 2025 US Retirement Survey results note that 36% of…
Significant Progress at SSA during 2025!
Long the target of disgruntled beneficiaries, headline seeking mainstream media, and some Congressional Representatives, the Social Security Administration has just provided a report on its accomplishments and progress in fiscal year 2025. The report, detailed in a letter to Congress…
Social Security: A 2025 Financial Picture
Social Security is America’s most important retirement program, providing financial assistance in retirement for over 70 million Americans. Indeed, about half of all those receiving Social Security benefits say that it is a “major” source of their retirement income. And,…
About Social Security’s “Full Retirement Age”
Social Security’s “full retirement age” or “FRA” is when you get the full benefits you have earned from a lifetime of working. Those full benefits, based on your highest-earning 35 years, will be available at your FRA which, this year,…
2026 Social Security – Changes You Should Know
Social Security is an ever-evolving program, with certain changes automatically implemented every year. These changes are automatic and generally are based upon several government measurements, such as the Consumer Price Index and the Average National Wage Index, among others. Most…
Ask Rusty – If We Both Collect Social Security, will our Benefits be Affected?
Dear Rusty: I reached full retirement age back in June, but I have not yet filed to collect Social Security. My husband currently collects SS funds, and he waited until he had reached full retirement age a few years ago.…
Why only 8% wait until age 70
You can start receiving your Social Security retirement benefits as early as age 62. However, you are entitled to full benefits only when you reach your full retirement age. If you delay taking your benefits from your full retirement age…
Another Vote for Delayed Benefit Claiming
Claim Social Security at age 62, wait until full retirement age (FRA), or hold off until age 70 and take advantage of delayed retirement credit. You’ve seen and heard the arguments for all three of these strategies, and there are…
Retirement Earnings Test Increase for 2026
Many Social Security benefit recipients who have not yet reached their full retirement age (FRA) but continue working are aware (or should be) of the Retirement Earnings Test, which limits the amount of income they can earn before benefits are…
About Working While Collecting Social Security
If you are planning to claim Social Security benefits in the near future and you are still working, it’s important to understand Social Security’s “Annual Earnings Test” (AET), the rules of which may limit how much you can earn while…