✨ Premium Features Available

Save and compare scenarios, export PDF and CSV reports, and access advanced projections. Sign up to unlock. Free tools remain free forever.

← Return to home page

Social Security Claiming Analyzer

Compare different Social Security claiming ages and visualize how your lifetime benefits change based on when you start collecting

Understanding Social Security Claiming Decisions

You can claim Social Security retirement benefits as early as age 62 or as late as age 70. Claiming early means smaller monthly checks but more total payments. Claiming later means larger monthly checks but fewer total payments. This calculator helps you understand the trade-offs and find the "break-even" age where total lifetime benefits become equal.

Your Information

Used to calculate your Full Retirement Age (FRA)
From your Social Security statement (before Medicare)
Average is 78 for men, 82 for women

Claiming Scenarios to Compare

Earliest: 62
Your FRA (typically 66-67)
Latest: 70 (max benefits)

Assumptions

30-year average is ~2.6%
0 = nominal dollars, 3-4% = present value