If you’ve ever read anything about Social Security, you’ve probably learned that the age you claim your benefits impacts the size of your payments.
While you can claim Social Security at 62, the longer you wait to start payments, until 70, the more money you get
That’s because you avoid early filing penalties that are applied before full retirement age (FRA) and earn delayed retirement credits if you wait to file until after FRA. However, delayed claiming isn’t the only way to increase Social Security checks. There’s another move you can make that is often overlooked but could have a big impact.
Here’s what it is. The surprising way you can boost your benefits check One of the most overlooked methods of increasing a Social Security benefit involves working longer at the tail end of your career if you’ve increased your earnings over time. The Social Security benefits formula gives you benefits equal to your average wage during your 35 highest-earning years.