Originally Posted by l2ridehd (Post 819115)

The very best investment you can make is to wait longer before taking SS. 8% a year increase in payout. So as long as your working even part time, wait. If possible wait until your 66. And for the very best return wait until your 70 before starting SS. Remember your spouse is eligible for 50% of your SS. So by waiting until your 70, her share increases. By starting at 62 you get about 68% of the amount your entitled to receive. And when your spouse is eligible she gets half of that or 34%. By waiting until 66 you get 100% and she gets 50%. By waiting until your 70, you get 132% and she receives 66%.

Another good plan if she is eligible on her own, is for her to use your SS at the 50% rate and wait until 70 until she applies. This can also work in reverse. Have her apply, you receive 50% of hers and wait until 70 to apply on your own.

Really look at all those options and use a plan to maximize the SS payout.

Originally Posted by ureout (Post 819669)

MAXIXUM PAYOUT? wow if everyone used your plan SS would never run out.....the majoritry of people will pass away before even breaking even with your plan. plus the fact that waiting until 70 means 8 more years of figuring out how to supplement your income without SS.....sit down figure it out then take the $$$$$ and run.

Originally Posted by ureout (Post 819669)

MAXIXUM PAYOUT? wow if everyone used your plan SS would never run out.....the majoritry of people will pass away before even breaking even with your plan. plus the fact that waiting until 70 means 8 more years of figuring out how to supplement your income without SS.....sit down figure it out then take the $$$$$ and run.

Originally Posted by KayakerNC (Post 819689)

You have an interesting concept of math.
Life Expectancy at age 62 for a man is age 81.4 (19.4 years), for a woman age 84.3 (22.3 years). Half will make it that far, half won't. For the AVERAGE person, the choice to start receiving retirement benefits early will ultimately mean receiving a smaller total lifetime benefit.

Originally Posted by tpop1 (Post 819161)

Here is another very different opinion.

I decided long ago that I would start taking my SSI as early as I could. I am a Bell System retiree and once heard that the average Bell System retiree collected only 17 monthly pension checks before they died.

Made my decision easy.

Calcultions that I did and studies I found,that depending on taxes, inflation, and investment returns, the range of break-even ages goes from 81 to 86 1/2.

It was a bet I hope I lose!!!!


What's Your Social Security Break-Even Age? - The Best Life (usnews.com)

Originally Posted by BarryRX (Post 819755)

I agree completely! I started taking my benefits at 62. When I did the calculations, my breakeven point was 81 years old! I would much rather have the extra money now while I am still vital enough to enjoy it than to a) die before the age of 80 or b) not be able to enjoy it at that age. I also figure that if a few hundred dollars a month will make a big difference to me at age 80, then my retirement plan hasn't worked very well. I just figured that if I am fortunate enough to live to age 80 (neither of my parents did) then I probably wont be going out as often or traveling as often.

Originally Posted by Average Guy (Post 819738)

If the life expectancy is 81.4 for a 62 year old man that does not mean that half of the 62 year old men will live longer than 81.4 and half less. What you are referring to is the median age, not average age.

Originally Posted by KayakerNC (Post 819806)

Definitions
Median Age: The age that divides a population into two numerically equal groups; that is, half the people are younger than this age and half are older. It is a single index that summarizes the age distribution of a population.

According to data compiled by the Social Security Administration:
A man reaching age 65 today can expect to live, on average, until age 84.
A woman turning age 65 today can expect to live, on average, until age 86.
And those are just averages.

https://www.socialsecurity.gov/plann...expectancy.htm

Originally Posted by Average Guy (Post 819813)

Typically, unless stated otherwise, the word "average" refer to the mean, not the median. There can be a big difference between the median and the mean.

For example, consider the following 5 numbers;

65, 65, 66, 90, and 90.

The median, which is the number that has half below it and half above it is 66.

The mean is the average of the 5 numbers i.e., (65+65+66+90+90)/5 = 76.

Originally Posted by BS Beef (Post 819539)

Yeah cause they're doing a bang up job with it :oops: