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Social Security: when to claim, how benefits work, and what to expect.

The claiming decision is one of the biggest financial choices in retirement. When you claim, how it interacts with your other income, and what happens to a spouse — here's the plain-English education.

Social Security

How Social Security Benefits Are Calculated

Social Security takes your 35 highest-earning years, runs them through a formula, and produces a monthly benefit number. Here's exactly how that calculation works — and what it means for your claiming decision.

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Social Security resources

Tools relevant to this topic.

Retirement Readiness ChecklistIncludes a dedicated Social Security claiming section.Free download
SS Claiming GuideWalk through your 62 vs. FRA vs. 70 decision step by step.Coming soon
Benefit Comparison ToolSee how monthly benefit amounts change by claiming age.Coming soon

Official government resources

Straight from the source.

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