3 Great Reasons to Take Social Security Benefits at 62
Many seniors struggle with when to claim Social Security, and for good reason. Aside from cost-of-living adjustments, the monthly benefit you start out with will be the same monthly benefit you collect for life, and your filing age will determine what that benefit looks like.
You're entitled to your full monthly benefit based on your earnings history at full retirement age, which is either 66, 67, or 66 and a certain number of months, depending on the year you were born. You can also delay your benefits up until age 70 and boost them by 8% a year in the process, or file before full retirement age in exchange for a reduced benefit. In fact, the earliest age you can sign up for Social Security is 62, and if you go that route, you'll permanently shrink your monthly benefit by 25% to 30%, depending on your full retirement age. But in spite of that, it still pays to sign up for benefits at 62 if these situations apply to you.
Image source: Getty Images.
Source Fool.com
