Benefits Planner: Retirement | The Age You Start Receiving Benefits and the Age You Stop Working (2024)

FAQs

Benefits Planner: Retirement | The Age You Start Receiving Benefits and the Age You Stop Working? ›

You can start your retirement benefit at any point from age 62 up until age 70, and your benefit will be higher the longer you delay starting it.

If You Stop Work After Full Retirement Age

You can delay getting retirement benefits and earn credits that increase your benefit amount.

Social Security can potentially be subject to tax regardless of your age. While you may have heard at some point that Social Security is no longer taxable after 70 or some other age, this isn't the case. In reality, Social Security is taxed at any age if your income exceeds a certain level.

The limit only applies if you claim Social Security before reaching your full retirement age. The earnings limit increases (to $56,520 in 2023) for the calendar year in which you'll reach full retirement age. Starting in the month you hit your full retirement age, there is no longer an earnings limit.

Full retirement age

If you were born in 1957 or earlier, you're already eligible for your full Social Security benefit. The full retirement age is 66 if you were born from 1943 to 1954. The full retirement age increases gradually if you were born from 1955 to 1960 until it reaches 67.

If you stop working, your benefits will not increase because of additional earnings. We calculate your benefits based on your highest 35 years of earnings. If you stop working before you have 35 years of earnings, or you have low earnings for some years, this will affect your benefit calculation.

In the case of early retirement, a benefit is reduced 5/9 of one percent for each month before normal retirement age, up to 36 months. If the number of months exceeds 36, then the benefit is further reduced 5/12 of one percent per month.

Have you heard about the Social Security $16,728 yearly bonus? There's really no “bonus” that retirees can collect. The Social Security Administration (SSA) uses a specific formula based on your lifetime earnings to determine your benefit amount.

Taxes aren't determined by age, so you will never age out of paying taxes. Basically, if you're 65 or older, you have to file a tax return in 2022 if your gross income is $14,700 or higher.

Taxation by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) doesn't depend on your age, or when you claim benefits. Taxation depends on the amount of additional taxable income you receive.

Why is retiring at 62 a good idea? ›

You Have the Chance to Enjoy it Longer

Compounding this is that the stress of work can actually contribute to health issues, so if you stop working sooner, you may remain healthier longer. No longer having to work means you have time to work on yourself!

The maximum Social Security benefit at full retirement age is $3,822 per month in 2024. It's $4,873 per month in 2024 if retiring at age 70 and $2,710 if retiring at age 62. A person's Social Security benefit amount depends on earnings, full retirement age and when they take benefits.

You would not be required to file a tax return. But you might want to file a return, because even though you are not required to pay taxes on your Social Security, you may be able to get a refund of any money withheld from your paycheck for taxes.

Views: A surviving spouse, surviving divorced spouse, unmarried child, or dependent parent may be eligible for monthly survivor benefits based on the deceased worker's earnings. In addition, a one-time lump sum death payment of $255 can be made to a qualifying spouse or child if they meet certain requirements.

If you are married and you and your spouse have worked and earned enough credits individually, you will each get your own Social Security benefit.

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.

If you stop working, your benefits will not increase because of additional earnings. We calculate your benefits based on your highest 35 years of earnings. If you stop working before you have 35 years of earnings, or you have low earnings for some years, this will affect your benefit calculation.

If you do not have 35 years of earnings by the time you apply for retirement benefits, your benefit amount will be lower than it would be if you worked 35 years. Years without work count as zeroes in the benefit calculation. Learn more at www.ssa.gov/OACT/COLA/Benefits.html.

For those who are able to do so, it may make sense to wait even longer, because you'll receive a larger monthly benefit – even more than your full benefit. Every month past your full retirement that you delay, Social Security will increase your check by about 0.7 percent per month.

Starting with the month you reach full retirement age, there is no limit on how much you can earn and still receive your benefits.