What's the Ideal Age to Begin Taking Social Security Benefits?
Social Security is arguably the most important social program for the 42 million-plus retirees that are currently receiving a monthly stipend. A majority of these retired workers -- 62%, to be exact, according to data from the Social Security Administration (SSA) -- rely on their monthly check to account for at least half of their monthly income. About a third of all retirees rely on Social Security for 90% to 100% of their income. Social Security simply is that important.
Unfortunately, if you don't understand the ins and outs of Social Security before retirement, you could wind up making a claiming decision that you'll later regret (and which could leave tens of thousands of dollars in lifetime benefits on the table). So, what's the ideal age to begin taking Social Security benefits, you ask? Let's take a look.
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Source: Fool.com