If you're gearing up to claim Social Security before 2022 comes to an end, you should ideally have a good sense of what monthly benefit you're in line for. But some seniors don't have that information by the time they're ready to sign up and wind up surprised when their first Social Security payment comes in.

Now you should know that the maximum monthly benefit you can collect from Social Security this year is $4,194. But most seniors don't wind up with a benefit that high -- not even close. So if you fall into the majority, don't panic, because there are other steps you can take to boost your retirement income.

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Source Fool.com