This is the foolproof way to know when you need to claim your Social Security benefits in 2025

You should utilize all available resources to ascertain the optimal timing to submit your Social Security application. Since this will probably be one of the most significant decisions of your life, use the following calculators to weigh all of your options:

Social Security Retirement Estimator

Based on your real earnings history, this calculator determines your Social Security benefit if you start receiving payments at age 62, full retirement age, or age 70.

You can change the parameters to obtain a more precise estimate of your plan depending on future wages or the year you will retire, provided you have a Social Security account.

If you choose to retire before the age of 65, when this benefit becomes available, just think about the expense of health insurance.

U.S. News Retirement Calculator

This calculator, which aims to estimate how long your retirement income and savings will last, is a little more sophisticated. It will determine your retirement age, life expectancy, inflation rate, and retirement expenses if you provide all of your personal data, including your age, annual pretax income, retirement savings, and monthly savings.

Although the calculator is unable to provide you an accurate estimate, it can give you a general idea that will help you better understand your financial situation in the future. To find out how your earnings, retirement income estimates, and savings objectives will impact your income in later life, you can experiment with them.

Planning for Retirement

Similar to the Social Security tool, this Consumer Financial Protection Bureau tool uses your birthdate and your greatest annual wage to predict your monthly or yearly Social Security payouts at different claiming ages.

In order to help you better organize your finances, it also predicts how much money you will have received at different times throughout your life.

The data on how your marital status, anticipated retirement age, spending expectations, retirement income sources, and longevity affect your benefits is priceless, but it is less accurate than the Social Security tool because it does not use your actual earnings.

Social Security Benefits Calculator

By simultaneously entering your spouse’s and your own income, you can use the AARP Social Security Benefits Calculator to compare benefits at various claiming ages and anticipated retirement costs.

Although it excludes survivor payments for widows and widowers, it also offers estimates for divorced individuals who have been married for at least ten years and have not remarried.

The tool shows possible retirement income sources like Social Security, retirement savings, and pension plans after your anticipated benefit has been determined. Additionally, you can alter the year of retirement to observe the impact on your financial status.

Retirement Age Calculator

By entering your birth year, you may use this calculator to quickly find out when you will be able to receive your full Social Security retirement benefit, saving you from losing out on payments because of a few annoying months. Additionally, it will outline the percentages that will be deducted from your benefits in the event that you submit an early claim.

Early or Late Retirement Calculator

This Social Security calculator, like the one before it, will precisely determine how much your payment will change depending on the month you plan to start receiving Social Security.

Retirement Earnings Test Calculator

A part of your Social Security benefits may be temporarily withheld if you start collecting them while you are still employed and before you reach full retirement age. Based on your anticipated earnings, you can use the Social Security Administration’s Retirement Earnings Test Calculator to help you figure out how much can be withheld.

Your benefits will be recalculated to reflect the withheld amounts and any additional earnings when you reach full retirement age, potentially increasing your monthly payment.

Life Expectancy Calculator

The truth is that nobody can predict how long we will live, even though it is usually advised to claim as late as possible to maximize rewards. The average number of years that a person of your age and gender might anticipate living is displayed by this Social Security calculator.

These forecasts should be regarded with caution, though, as averages do not take into consideration lifestyle, family medical history, or present health.

“The longer you think you’ll live, the longer it makes sense to wait to take benefits, and the shorter you think you’ll live, the earlier it seems better to claim,” says Brian Kuhn, a financial counselor with Wealth Enhancement Group in Fulton, Maryland. If you have other sources of income, it may be advantageous to wait.

Social Security Intelligence Break-Even Calculator

By creating a graphic depiction of your anticipated Social Security payments, this calculator lets you compare the outcomes of filing early and late. You can examine how inflation and varying claiming ages impact your benefits by entering your birthdate and expected Social Security payments.

If you begin receiving benefits at different ages, it also illustrates how long it will take to break even. When choosing a claiming strategy, this tool can be helpful, but you should also take lifestyle aspects into account.

See Also: The Retirement Error That Most US Seniors Make That Permanently Alters Your Social Security Benefits

Note: Every piece of content is rigorously reviewed by our team of experienced writers and editors to ensure its accuracy. Our writers use credible sources and adhere to strict fact-checking protocols to verify all claims and data before publication. If an error is identified, we promptly correct it and strive for transparency in all updates, feel free to reach out to us via email. We appreciate your trust and support!