Weekend Reading: Ten Reasons to Claim

This article appears as part of Casey Weade's Weekend Reading for Retirees series. Every Friday, Casey highlights four hand-picked articles on trending retirement topics and delivers them straight to your email inbox. Get on the list here.
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Weekend Reading

The debate of whether to claim Social Security early, at full retirement age (FRA) or at age 70 for delayed retirement credits is ongoing. Ultimately, this decision depends on a variety of factors that apply to your unique situation, some of which you might not have considered before.

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In favor of filing at FRA: Here, author John Yeigh compiles a list of ten “whys” behind his choice to file for Social Security benefits just after full retirement age, instead of delaying until age 70. A few of his top reasons include:

📌 Longevity, and the risk of challenged genes: No family member on his mother’s side lived past age 80, so the extra benefit earned at age 70 might not be something he is able to enjoy for long.

📌 Tax savings: By claiming earlier than age 70, he receives a somewhat reduced benefit, but will gain tax savings at age 72 when his required minimum distributions kick in. Additionally, today’s low federal income tax rates are scheduled to sunset at the end of 2025, so he can enjoy extra tax savings for the next three years.

📌 The risk of changes to Social Security: One fix to solve the future Social Security funding shortfall includes reducing benefits for those with moderate to higher incomes. In the event that happens, claiming earlier may be wiser.

📌 Convenience: He no longer has this decision on his plate, and now he can enjoy his hard-earned dollars!

Above all, consider this: Your decision on when to take Social Security shouldn’t be taken lightly; however, confidently putting that decision behind you may be the biggest benefit of executing sooner, versus later.