Ready to Claim Social Security? Do These 4 Things First

You've been paying your Social Security taxes for decades, and it's finally time to recoup that investment. Before you dive in and file that Social Security application, though, it's smart to review your retirement plan and verify that claiming now is truly the right strategy. Here are four steps you can take that'll provide the insight you need.

You can find a variety of lifespan calculators online. Choose one that considers lifestyle factors, like whether or not you smoke, how much you exercise, and the amount of alcohol you consume. You can also temper the calculator's output with your own knowledge of your family history. If your relatives tend to stick around until their late 90s, it's more likely you will too.

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Source Fool.com