Since its inception, Social Security has been a pivotal part of many Americans' retirement planning. After decades of paying Social Security taxes, it's a way for retirees to reap the benefits with a safety net of income in their golden years.

As people near retirement, it's common to wonder what role Social Security will play in your retirement, whether it will be a little, most, or all of your income. For the most part, your Social Security benefit correlates with your income for your working years.

While making yourself eligible for the maximum benefit isn't easy, it's doable. Here are the max payouts for retirees by age.

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Source Fool.com