Guide3 min read · Updated October 15, 2026
You can start Social Security retirement as early as 62 or as late as 70. The age you pick changes your check for life. Here's how to think about it.
| Claim at | Share of your full check | If your full check is $2,000 |
|---|---|---|
| 62 | 70% | $1,400 |
| 65 | About 87% | About $1,733 |
| 67 (full age) | 100% | $2,000 |
| 70 | 124% | $2,480 |
This is for people born in 1960 or later. Your full check amount is on your Social Security statement at ssa.gov/myaccount.
A rough rule: the total you collect evens out around age 80. Live longer than that, and waiting wins.
If you claim before full retirement age and keep working, Social Security holds back $1 for every $2 you earn over $24,480 (the 2026 limit).
That money isn't gone for good. Once you reach full retirement age, your monthly check goes up to make up for it. After full retirement age, there's no limit on what you can earn.
Social Security announced a 3.6% cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) for 2027. It applies to every claiming age, so it doesn't change which age is best.
The raise starts with January 2027 payments. Medicare premiums often go up in January too, so your deposit may rise a little less.
Within 12 months, you can withdraw your claim once, but you must pay back what you got.
Part of it can be, depending on your other income. Oregon doesn't tax Social Security, and Washington has no income tax.
Yes. Social Security counts as income for both, so a bigger check can lower them.
General information, not tax or legal advice. Rules change; the agency has the final say on your case.