When planning for retirement, Social Security is an important factor to consider. But simply claiming without a strategy could be a mistake.
Here are six steps you can take to potentially increase your Social Security benefits.
1. Work longer to raise lifetime earnings
The Social Security Administration reviews your 35 highest-earning years to determine how much you will receive in benefits. Typically, people’s earnings go up as they get older and move into senior positions. That means if you work into your 50s and 60s, your highest earning years will replace some of the lower-earning years you had when you were just getting started, potentially increasing your earnings.
2. Tap retirement savings accounts
The longer you wait to receive Social Security benefits until age 70, the more you can receive. That’s why many people use the “bridge strategy,” which entails using their retirement savings and investments before they claim Social Security.
Making these withdrawals can allow you to wait longer to get your benefits, increasing your lifetime income.
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3. Increase your current income
The more income you earn, the more you can receive in Social Security. If you can get a raise, higher-paying job or side gig to increase your income, you can also increase your future Social Security payouts.
4. Strategize with your spouse
Social Security gets a bit more complicated if you are planning with your spouse when to claim your money. If you both wait until age 70, you can both get the largest possible benefits.
But if you need extra money now, the spouse with lower lifetime earnings can tap into Social Security. That way, you can get by until the spouse with a higher lifetime income turns 70 and can take the higher payout.
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5. Leverage catch-up contributions
Leveraging catch-up contributions throughout your 50s can result in a larger nest egg and tax-deferred growth if you use traditional accounts. You can then withdraw from your 401(k) and individual retirement account (IRA) plans before claiming Social Security. If you can live off the nest egg for a few years, you will give your Social Security benefits more time to grow.
Catch-up contributions are additional contributions people over age 50 are allowed by the IRS to make to 401(k)s and IRAs.
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6. Check your Social Security record for errors
It’s possible for the Social Security Administration to make mistakes when gathering your previous income and calculating your benefit. Detecting these errors can result in you receiving the correct — and maybe a higher — benefit. You can check your history for any errors by logging into your “My Social Security” account on Social Security’s website, and report any mistakes directly to the Social Security Administration.
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