You can begin your retirement benefit at any point from age 62 up until age 70, and your benefits will be higher the longer you delay starting it. This modification is usually permanent–it sets the base for the benefits you’ll get for the rest of your life. Everyone has their personal reasons for when they begin their benefits. However, you should have all of the facts and weigh in the factor that your retirement may last longer than you might expect. Your decisions can also impact the income of a surviving spouse. Below are a couple of tools to share with your clients to help them decide when to start their social security retirement income.
Note: The law raised the full retirement age beginning with people born in 1938 or later. The retirement age gradually increases by a few months for every birth year, until it reaches 67 for people born in 1960 and later.