Whether considering whether to apply for Social Security, you should use all of the tools available to you to determine when the optimum time to file is. Making this choice will most likely be one of the most significant decisions of your life, so do consider all of your possibilities using the following calculators:
Social Security Retirement Estimator
This calculator calculates your Social Security income if you begin payments at age 62, full retirement age, or age 70, depending on your actual earnings history. As long as you have a my Social Security account, you can adjust the parameters to get a more accurate estimate of your plan depending on future wages or the year you will retire.
Simply consider the cost of health insurance if you decide to retire before the age of 65, when this benefit becomes available.
U.S. News Retirement Calculator
This tool is a little more subtle, since it attempts to calculate how long your retirement savings and income will last. If you enter all of your information, such as your age, how much pretax income you earn each year, the amount you have in retirement savings, and how much you save each month, it will calculate your retirement age, life expectancy, inflation rate, and retirement expenses.
Even though the calculator cannot provide an exact estimate, it can provide a guideline that you can use to gain a better understanding of your future finances. You can experiment with your earnings, retirement income predictions, and savings objectives to see how they will affect your income in your later years.
Planning for Retirement
This Consumer Financial Protection Bureau tool, like the Social Security tool, estimates your monthly or yearly Social Security payouts at various claiming ages based on your birth date and the greatest annual salary you have earned.
It also estimates how much money you will have received at certain periods in your life, allowing you to better arrange your finances. It is less accurate than the Social Security tool because it does not utilize your actual wages, but the information on how marital status, anticipated retirement age, spending expectations, retirement income sources, and longevity affect your benefits is invaluable.
Social Security Benefits Calculator
The AARP Social Security Benefits Calculator lets you enter income information for both yourself and your spouse at the same time, allowing you to compare benefits at different claiming ages as well as estimated retirement expenses.
It also includes estimates for divorced people who have been married for at least ten years and have not remarried, but it does not include survivor payments for widows and widowers.
Once your anticipated benefit has been determined, the tool displays potential retirement income sources such as Social Security, retirement savings, and pension plans. You can also change the retirement start year to see how it affects your financial situation.
Retirement Age Calculator
This calculator allows you to enter your birth year and instantly determine the precise age at which you will be entitled to claim your full Social Security retirement benefit, keeping you from missing out on benefits due to a few inconvenient months. It will also explain the percentages by which your benefits will be reduced if you file an early claim.
Early or Late Retirement Calculator
Similar to the last one, this Social Security calculator will precisely calculate the change in your monthly amount based on the month you want to begin Social Security.
Retirement Earnings Test Calculator
If you begin receiving Social Security benefits while working and are under the full retirement age, a portion of your income may be temporarily withheld.
The Social Security Administration’s Retirement Earnings Test Calculator can assist you in determining how much can be withheld based on your predicted earnings. When you reach full retirement age, your benefits will be recalculated to account for the withheld amounts and any new earnings, which may increase your monthly payment.
Life Expectancy Calculator
Although claiming as late as possible to maximize benefits is frequently recommended, the reality is that no one knows how long we will live. This Social Security Calculator will show you the average number of years that someone your age and gender can expect to live. However, averages do not account for current health, lifestyle, or family medical history, so these estimates should be taken with a grain of salt.
According to Brian Kuhn, a financial advisor with Wealth Enhancement Group in Fulton, Maryland, “The longer you believe you are going to live, the longer it makes sense to wait to take benefits, and the shorter you think you are going to live, the earlier it appears to be better to claim.” When in doubt, waiting can be beneficial if you have other income sources.”
Social Security Intelligence Break-Even Calculator
This calculator generates a graphic representation of your predicted Social Security payments, allowing you to evaluate the results of filing early vs late. By inputting your birthdate and expected Social Security payments, you may see how inflation and different claiming ages affect your benefits.
It also indicates how long it will take to break even if you start benefiting at different ages. While this tool is beneficial for selecting an optimal claiming approach, you should also consider lifestyle factors while making your decision.
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