3 Great Reasons to Take Social Security Benefits at 62

There's a reason 62 happens to be the most popular age to claim Social Security: It's the earliest age you're allowed to get at those benefits. But while the idea of snagging your cash sooner might seem appealing, you should know that there's one major drawback to filing at 62, and it's that doing so will reduce your monthly benefits -- for life.

Though your Social Security benefits themselves are based on what you earned during your 35 highest years of income, you'll only collect your benefits in full if you wait until full retirement age to claim them. For today's older workers, full retirement age falls somewhere between 66 and 67, and for every year you take benefits early, you lose a percentage of what you'd otherwise collect. That's why it's often a good idea to wait until full retirement age to file for Social Security.

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Source: Fool.com