What happens to Social Security if you retire early?

If you retire early, your benefit gets reduced by 5/9 of 1% for each month you collect Social Security before your full retirement age (up to 36 months). If you retire more than 36 months early, your Social Security benefit will be reduced by another 5/12 of 1% per extra month.

How much Social Security do I lose if I retire early?

In the case of early retirement, a benefit is reduced 5/9 of one percent for each month before normal retirement age, up to 36 months. If the number of months exceeds 36, then the benefit is further reduced 5/12 of one percent per month.

What does early retirement mean for your social security?

Early Retirement Means You May Get Less. The estimates you see on your Social Security statement are based on working until that stated age. For example, if your Social Security statement says you will get $1,100 a month at age 62, that estimate assumes you’ll work until you turn 62 years old.

How old do you have to be to collect Social Security early?

If you take early Social Security, you start collecting retirement benefits before you reach full retirement age. That’s age 66 or 67, depending on the year you were born. You can start to collect Social Security retirement benefits as early as age 62, but your monthly check will be lower than if you wait until your full retirement age.

When is the best age to retire for Social Security?

A worker can choose to retire as early as age 62, but doing so may result in a reduction of as much as 30 percent. Starting to receive benefits after normal retirement age may result in larger benefits. With delayed retirement credits , a person can receive his or her largest benefit by retiring at age 70.

What happens to Social Security benefits when you retire?

Workers planning for their retirement should be aware that retirement benefits depend on age at retirement. If a worker begins receiving benefits before his/her normal (or full) retirement age, the worker will receive a reduced benefit.