Claim at
62 years
$1,400/month
70%
of your Full Retirement Age estimate
Start earlier, with a lower monthly amount.
Social Security education
Social Security Timing Explorer
See how starting retirement benefits at age 62, your Full Retirement Age, or age 70 can change the monthly amount and the cumulative benefits over time.
Your Numbers
Example values — replace them with your own estimate.
Used only to look up your Full Retirement Age. This tool does not determine eligibility for Social Security benefits.
$
Use the Full Retirement Age estimate from your Social Security statement or official SSA estimate if you have one.
This only changes the chart horizon. It is not a life-expectancy estimate.
Your Full Retirement Age
67 years
Based on the birth-year rules used by the Social Security Administration.
Three Starting Ages, Side by Side
Each card uses the same estimate you entered above, adjusted by the Social Security rules for that starting age.
Claim at
67 years
$2,000/month
100%
of your Full Retirement Age estimate
Full Retirement Age for this birth year.
Claim at
70 years
$2,480/month
124%
of your Full Retirement Age estimate
Start later, with a higher monthly amount.
Monthly Benefit Comparison
The monthly amount is set when benefits start and does not rise later by choosing a different starting age.
62 years$1,400/month
67 years$2,000/month
70 years$2,480/month
Cumulative Benefits Over Time
Total benefits received since starting, holding the monthly amounts constant. The lines cross because an earlier start collects for more months while a later start collects more each month.
- 62 years
- 67 years
- 70 years
The chart holds benefit amounts constant so you can isolate the effect of the starting age. Actual Social Security benefits may change over time, including through cost-of-living adjustments and other factors.
Break-Even Ages
The age at which the cumulative benefits from a later starting age catch up with an earlier one, under this simplified model.
67 years compared with 62 years
Under these simplified assumptions, cumulative benefits catch up at about 78 years 8 months.
70 years compared with 67 years
Under these simplified assumptions, cumulative benefits catch up at about 82 years 6 months.
70 years compared with 62 years
Under these simplified assumptions, cumulative benefits catch up at about 80 years 4 months.
What This Comparison Means
Starting earlier
You begin receiving benefits sooner, but the monthly amount is permanently reduced relative to the Full Retirement Age estimate.
Starting at Full Retirement Age
The model uses 100% of the Full Retirement Age benefit estimate you entered.
Starting later
Delayed retirement credits increase the worker retirement benefit until age 70. There is no further increase for starting after 70.
Starting at 62 provides benefits sooner, while starting at 70 produces a higher monthly amount in this simplified model. Which matters more depends on circumstances this tool does not know.
What This Model Does Not Include
This is a simplified, constant-dollar comparison built to isolate one variable: the age benefits start. It leaves out everything below.
- Future cost-of-living adjustments and inflation
- Future earnings or benefit recomputation
- The retirement earnings test, which may temporarily withhold benefits if you claim before Full Retirement Age and keep working
- Federal or state taxes
- Spousal and divorced-spouse benefits
- Survivor benefits
- Disability benefits
- Medicare enrollment, premiums, and IRMAA
- Benefit eligibility and work-credit determination
- Investment returns, discount rates, and present value
- Any future changes in law
Household decisions can be more complex when spousal or survivor benefits apply. This explorer models the retired-worker benefit only.
Social Security claiming and Medicare enrollment are separate decisions. Medicare has its own enrollment rules — review official Medicare and SSA guidance as you approach age 65.
Where to Go From Here
Check your official estimate
Your Social Security statement shows benefit estimates based on your actual earnings record.
Open my Social Security on ssa.govSee it alongside your expenses
A benefit figure means more next to the rest of a retirement year. Compare recurring income with the annual spending you expect.
Open the Retirement Income SnapshotLook at the bigger picture
Claiming age is one piece of a broader picture. A fuller, advisor-guided review can place it alongside savings, protection, and cash flow.
Explore your broader financial pictureEducational and illustrative only. This is not an official Social Security Administration calculation, and it is not individualized financial, investment, tax, legal, or Social Security filing advice. Actual benefits depend on SSA records, eligibility, earnings history, filing circumstances, and applicable law. Individual circumstances vary and outcomes are not guaranteed.