Free Checklist
The Social Security Claiming Checklist
The 8 things to confirm before you file. Work through them in order — most costly claiming mistakes come from skipping one.
- 1
Confirm your Full Retirement Age (FRA)
It's 67 for anyone born in 1960 or later. Every claiming decision is measured against this date — claiming before it permanently reduces your check; waiting past it grows it.
- 2
Verify your earnings record at ssa.gov
Your benefit is built from your 35 highest-earning years. A single missing or wrong year lowers your check for life. Fix errors before you file.
- 3
Know your number at 62, 67, and 70
Claiming at 70 instead of 62 can mean ~76% more per month — for life, and growing with COLA. Get all three figures before you choose.
- 4
Run your break-even age
The age at which waiting beats claiming early. If you expect to live past it, delaying usually wins. If not, earlier can be right. This is the whole decision in one number.
- 5
Coordinate as a household if married
The higher earner's claiming age sets the survivor benefit the other spouse lives on. This is the single most overlooked — and most expensive — couples mistake.
- 6
Check the earnings test if still working
Claim before FRA while working and SSA withholds $1 for every $2 over the annual limit. It's not lost forever, but it changes the math on claiming early.
- 7
Plan for benefit taxation
Up to 85% of your benefit can be taxable depending on your other income. Claiming timing and Roth conversions change what you actually keep.
- 8
Pick your application month deliberately
Benefits don't start automatically. Apply up to 4 months ahead, and choose the start month on purpose — the wrong month can cost you a check or trigger an unwanted reduction.
From checklist to a finished plan
The checklist tells you what to decide. The Benefora Decision Kit shows you how — fillable worksheets for your actual numbers, the household coordination strategy, a tax plan, and a month-by-month application timeline.
Educational information based on public SSA.gov data and established actuarial principles — not financial, legal, or tax advice. Check your official estimate at ssa.gov/myaccount.