MOST COMMON ASKED SOCIAL SECURITY QUESTION FOR RETIREMENT

When it comes to Social Security retirement, most of the people do not know any basics about it. Therefore, it is very important to know all information related to Social Security. So, in today’s article we are going to explore the most common asked question about Social Security.

Social Security is one of the most important benefits in the United States. It’s also very misunderstood because the rules can be complicated. So, whether you are years away from claiming your benefit or if you are going to be collecting Social Security in just a few years, it’s important to know some of the basics.

Eligibility for Social Security Benefits

Following is the eligibility to collect Social Security benefits:

• You need to be aged 62 or older or disabled or blind and insured. In other words, you are paying into the system.
• You need 40 credits to qualify for Social Security.
• You are in one credit for each quarter. You need to earn around $1,510 in a quarter in 2024 to earn one credit.
• In 10 years, you can earn a total of 40 credits.

Most common question about Social Security

Most common question is when should I take my Social Security or when should I start collecting my Social Security? Now you would think it would be a no-brainer question but there is a lot of thought that goes into this. Now some people, they will retire from their job and maybe wait a few years before they actually start taking Social Security. Others may continue to work and take Social Security while they’re working.

How Full Retirement Age works?

Let’s take a look at the sample example here of how full retirement age works. In this case, full retirement age is 66 and the benefit at 66 is $1,000. The worker chose to take their benefit at their full retirement age i.e. age 66, they would receive $1,000 per month. However, he/she chose to take their benefit at age 62, the benefit would be 25% less and they would receive $750 per month in this example. It is pertinent to mention here that each year that a person waits after their full retirement age of 66, in this case, the benefit would grow by 8% per year.

Now we are going to look at five different situations to consider when to take your Social Security benefits. Firstly, if you are already collecting Social Security and have some advice for people who going to take Social Security in the future, leave your advice/suggestion in the comment box below. Your advice would help people to understand the basic concept and will definitely support them to a great extent.

When should you take your Social Security?  

The first area to consider when you should take your Social Security is your expenses and income. You need to sit down and analyze what your expenses are and also understand where your income is going to come from. Is your income is only going to come from Social Security or do you have other income sources/savings that you can withdraw money from.

Should you continue working if you are in good health?

Another important question comes to mind is that what if you are in good health. In this situation, should you continue working or claim Social Security benefits. So, its up to you, but you should consider that what is the best time for retirement and is it better to claim your Social Security benefits now or you work for few more years.  If you have poor health and you cannot work any longer, you may have to go ahead and retire early. You should also look at the longevity in your family.

What is you are married, single or divorced?

The third important question when you are thinking about when should you start collecting Social Security is whether you are married, divorced, or single. Now, here is a strategy for a spouse who will benefit. It is important to note here that if both spouses are working and you are wondering who should retire sooner than the other, the spouse with the most income should work the longest. The larger the higher earning spouses’ benefit, the larger the benefit for the surviving spouse.

However, there are other considerations for married or divorced. If you are receiving retirement or disability benefits, your spouse may qualify if he or she is a 62 or over, divorced from you, a 62 or older, and was married to you for at least 10 years prior to divorce, or under age 62 and caring for a child who is under 16 or disabled.

So, when you are thinking about when should you take Social Security, if you are married or divorced, there are many options for you. If you are surviving spouse or disabled, there are provisions for you to consider so that you may be able to participate in the Social Security system, even if you did not pay into it.

It is pertinent to mention here that the most popular age that retirees take Social Security is around age 62, and then the next most popular age is around full retirement age.

What if you still want to continue working after retirement?

Another important thing most retirees always discuss is that what if you start collecting Social Security and you still want to continue working. It is important to mention here that you can earn up to $19,560 a year without it impacting your benefits. If you earn over that amount, then you may have part of your Social Security withheld.

What is you are tired of working?

Some people get to a point where we they do not want to work any longer. So, if you are tried and want a break then take some vacations, but if still do not want to work  and you have the money to cover your expenses, then by all means, go ahead and start collecting your Social Security benefit. It is different for everyone and there is not a perfect time that everyone should take Social Security.

However, if you are many years away from retirement, start to plan, execute, and re-evaluate your plan for retirement. But, if you are just a year or so away from taking Social Security, look at all the possible options so that you can make the best choice.

Conclusion

In today’s article we discussed different aspects of Social Security and I tried to give you different options for making a best decision when deciding claiming Social Security benefits. What is the best age and when to claim your benefits are totally different for each individual. It depends on your financial situation and health condition to take retirement or otherwise. So, before making any decision always think twice, keeping in mind advantages and disadvantages   

I hope this article would benefit you. If you need more information on this topic or any other topics related to Social Security please visit my website: www.deftangle.com. I regularly post different articles and if you have any questions about any issue related to Social Security and other financial benefits, you can leave me a comment with your name and email and I will respond you as soon as I could, please.

Thanks for reading