For millions of older Americans, Social Security is a lifeline in retirement. But the program is complicated and confusing at times, making it difficult to know exactly how much to expect in benefits.

Even if you know your estimated benefit amount, there are several factors that can affect how much you actually receive once you retire. In some cases, your benefit could even change years or decades into retirement.

While everyone's situation is different, these three lesser-known Social Security rules can affect the size of your monthly checks.

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Source Fool.com