Maximize your social security benefits using a social security calculator

Posted by juliabennet on August 21st, 2011

Most people look forward to retirement, but many don’t realize that they could spend about a third of their lifetime in retirement.  With that said, it is important to plan financially to ensure that retirement income will last a lifetime.  During most peoples working years, they pay taxes on their earned income.  A part of that income tax goes towards social security benefits.  There is quite a bit of criteria in determining how much of a benefit you will receive during retirement.  It is important to determine the best age to collect in order to maximize this benefit.  The optimal age to collect can easily be determined by using an online social security calculator. By using these online resources along with the help of a professional, you can plan for a comfortable retirement.

Many people feel that the amount of social security benefits is almost never enough to get them by.  Most people overlook one important point of social security benefits. The longer a retiree delays the application for social security income, the larger the benefit will be per month. The earliest age to collect social security income is 62, however you will only receive about 70-75% of the benefit that you would normally receive at full retirement age, which is generally between ages 65 and 67, depending on the year you were born.  One must keep in mind that by delaying collection past full retirement age, the benefit amount continues to increase by 8% per year until the maximum benefit is reached at age 70. By using an online social security calculator you can easily compare your benefit at various ages.

There are different ways you can access a social security calculator. If you are internet savvy, then simply search for such a calculator online and you will find plenty of them available to use free of cost. The other option is to get in touch with a professional that can run the calculation for you and provide you with strategies to maximize your social security benefits. The calculation used to determine the best age to collect is made easy by using a social security calculator.

In the end, it depends on you to make the most out of your retirement, especially when you have labored throughout your professional life to become eligible for social security benefits.  In this regard, it is crucial to use a reliable social security calculator or professional to maximize all sources of retirement income.

It is important for you to know about your social security benefits amount. You can do the exact calculation using a social security calculator. This will allow you to determine the age when you should apply for the benefit.