Informational purposes only, not financial advice — always do your own research. See our full legal disclosure for details.
Social Security Benefits: When and How to Claim Yours
When you claim can change your monthly check for the rest of your life. Learn how Social Security benefits work and choose the claiming age that fits your plan.
Understand the Rules Before You Claim
Our complete Social Security guide explains how benefits are calculated, how your full retirement age works and what happens if you claim early or delay. It also covers spousal and survivor benefits, the earnings test and when Social Security taxes may apply to your benefits.
Compare Claiming Strategies and Tools
Our practical claiming strategy comparison shows how claiming at different ages changes your lifetime income. It also compares the best Social Security calculator tools so you can run your own numbers.
Six Retirees, Six Claiming Decisions
Health, savings and marital status all shaped their choices. Read their stories. Each has a dedicated page showing their situation, their problems and why they claimed when they did.
By Jozsef Huszar • Updated: September 16, 2026 Social Security work credits decide whether you qualify for a retirement benefit at all, so here is how to find out exactly where you stand. Alan has been working in the U.S. for several years now, paying into the system every paycheck like everyone else. But he’s…
By Jozsef Huszar • Updated: September 16, 2026 Ex-spouse Social Security benefits can be worth up to 50% of your former partner’s benefit, and claiming them doesn’t require his cooperation. Beverly’s divorce settlement closed one chapter, but it also opened a question she hadn’t expected to be dealing with: whether she might be entitled to…
By Jozsef Huszar • Updated: September 16, 2026 Self-employed Social Security benefits are calculated exactly like an employee’s, even though you pay the full self-employment tax yourself. Wayne has been self-employed for years, and every quarter, he writes a check that includes his Social Security contribution. It’s a bigger check than most of his formerly-employed…
This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute financial advice. We may receive compensation from our partners when you click on links or apply for products featured here; this does not influence our editorial opinions or ratings. For complete terms, see our full legal disclosure.
