Just wanted to add one more consideration that might help with your decision - make sure to factor in the tax implications too. When you're working part-time from 67-70 while receiving delayed retirement credits, you won't have Social Security income during those years, which could put you in a lower tax bracket. This might be a good time to do Roth conversions or other tax planning strategies. Also, your son's benefits will be taxable income to him (though likely at a low rate given his age), so keep that in mind when planning. The strategy sounds solid overall - getting those child benefits during his teenage years when expenses are high (especially if college is on the horizon) can be really valuable financially and practically.

As someone who's been navigating Social Security rules for my own family, I wanted to mention a few practical considerations that might help with your timeline planning. First, when you file at 62, there's typically a few months processing time before your son's benefits start, so factor that into your cash flow planning. Also, make sure you have all his documentation ready (birth certificate, etc.) when you apply since auxiliary benefits require additional paperwork. One thing I learned the hard way - if your son plans to work during high school (even part-time), his earnings could affect his Social Security benefits too. The earnings limit applies to beneficiaries under 18, though it's pretty generous for most teen jobs. Also consider timing your initial application strategically. If you turn 62 early in the year, you might want to wait until later in the year to file so your son gets benefits closer to when school expenses ramp up. The retroactive payment rules allow up to 6 months of back benefits when you're at full retirement age or older, but that doesn't apply at 62. Your plan sounds well thought out overall - just wanted to share some of the practical details I wish someone had told me about the process!

This entire discussion has been incredibly helpful! I'm approaching FRA in a few months with a birthday on the 22nd, and I've been stressing about this exact timing issue. Like so many others here, I had no idea about the "day before the month" rule and was planning to wait an extra month to be "safe." What really resonates with me is how consistently everyone's experiences align - it gives me confidence that this rule is reliable and not some fluke. The fact that the SSA's own online system suggests the birthday month when you select "earliest month without reduction" is reassuring too. I'm particularly grateful for the professional confirmation from Oliver and the POMS reference (GN 00302.400). Having that official citation makes me feel much more comfortable proceeding with the birthday month start date. One question for those who've completed the process: after you selected your birthday month as the start date, did you receive any follow-up communication from SSA asking you to verify or confirm that timing? I want to make sure I'm prepared if they reach out with questions about starting before my actual birthday date. Thanks to everyone for sharing such detailed experiences - this thread has probably saved me from missing out on a month of benefits I'm entitled to!

This thread has been absolutely invaluable for someone like me who's been putting off the Social Security application due to confusion about timing! I turn FRA next month with a birthday on the 12th, and I've been going back and forth about whether to start benefits in my birthday month or wait until the following month. Reading everyone's experiences with the "day before the month" rule has been such a relief. I spent hours on the SSA website trying to find clear guidance on this and came up empty - it's incredible that such an important and beneficial rule is so poorly communicated. Like many others here, I would have unnecessarily delayed my benefits by a month without this community knowledge. The professional confirmation from Oliver and the specific POMS reference (GN 00302.400) really sealed the deal for me. I'm going to start my application tonight and confidently select my birthday month as the start date. It's amazing how this one thread has probably saved countless people from missing out on benefits they're rightfully entitled to. Thank you to everyone who shared their real-world experiences - this is exactly the kind of practical information that makes all the difference when navigating these complex government systems!

Going back to the original question - here's a simple example to make it crystal clear: Let's say your gross SS benefit is $2,000/month and Medicare Part B premium is $170/month. Your net check is $1,830. If COLA is 3%, the increase is calculated on the $2,000, giving you a $60 increase (to $2,060). If Medicare then increases by $15 (to $185), your new net check would be $1,875 ($2,060 - $185). So even though you got a full 3% COLA ($60), your actual check only increased by $45 because of the Medicare premium increase. This is why many beneficiaries feel like they don't get the full COLA - other costs are rising simultaneously.

Just wanted to add that you can also check your exact COLA calculation by looking at your Social Security Statement online at ssa.gov/myaccount. It shows your benefit history and how each year's COLA was applied to your base amount. This helped me understand exactly how much my gross benefit increased versus what my net payment became after Medicare and other deductions. It's really helpful for budget planning since you can see the pattern of how COLA and Medicare premium changes have affected your payments over time.

As someone who's been researching this topic extensively, I wanted to add another resource that might help. The SSA's publication "How Work Affects Your Benefits" (Publication No. 05-10069) has a section specifically about post-70 earnings and benefit recalculations. You can download it from their website or request a paper copy. What I found particularly useful is that it includes examples of how the recalculation works with actual dollar amounts, which helped me understand the potential impact better than the general explanations I found elsewhere. The document also clarifies that there's no limit to how many times your benefit can be recalculated - it happens automatically every year you have earnings that would improve your calculation, regardless of your age. For those still confused about the timing, the recalculation typically shows up in your December payment (reflecting the October processing that others mentioned). Hope this additional resource helps!

I'm new to this community and this thread has been absolutely invaluable! I'm 69 and have been getting so much conflicting information about working past 70. What really helped me understand this was realizing that there are actually THREE different ways your Social Security benefit can change after you start collecting: 1) delayed retirement credits (stop at 70), 2) annual COLA adjustments (continue for life), and 3) earnings recalculations (also continue for life). I think a lot of the confusion comes from mixing these up. Thanks to everyone who shared their real experiences - it's so much more helpful than the generic information on SSA's website. I'm particularly grateful for the practical tips about tracking changes in October/December and using the online Social Security Statement to compare current vs. historical earnings. As someone who had several years of part-time work in my early career, I'm now confident that continuing to work will benefit my long-term financial situation.

As a newcomer to this community, I'm absolutely amazed by how detailed and helpful this discussion has been! Reading through everyone's experiences has really opened my eyes to the complexities of Social Security benefit calculations that I never knew existed. The consistent theme of verbal phone estimates being significantly different from actual payment amounts is both enlightening and concerning for someone like me who's starting to plan for the future. The technical explanations about sequential reduction factors, the mandatory rounding down rule, and the importance of using the my Social Security online account for accurate estimates have been incredibly valuable. I had no idea that federal law actually requires benefits to be rounded down rather than to the nearest dollar - that's definitely something I'll factor into my planning calculations. What strikes me most is how this thread demonstrates the power of community knowledge sharing. The practical tips shared here - from documenting everything and taking screenshots, to services like Claimyr for getting through to SSA, to having recent tax documents ready when applying - are exactly the kind of real-world insights you can't get from official government websites. Thanks to everyone who shared their experiences, especially Luca for providing that helpful follow-up with the resolution. This is exactly the kind of peer support that makes navigating these complex government programs so much more manageable. I'm definitely creating that online account and will be approaching any future SSA interactions with much more informed expectations!

This entire discussion has been incredibly enlightening for someone like me who's just starting to navigate Social Security planning! I'm 59 and had been relying on rough estimates from friends and basic online calculators, but reading through everyone's experiences here has made it crystal clear that I need to be much more systematic about understanding the actual calculation process. The consistent pattern of phone estimates being $30-60 off from actual payments is honestly quite concerning - that's a significant amount when you're planning a retirement budget! The explanations about sequential reduction factors and the mandatory rounding down rule have been particularly eye-opening. I had no idea these calculations were so nuanced or that federal law requires rounding down rather than to the nearest dollar. I'm definitely going to create a my Social Security account this week and start running detailed scenarios for different retirement dates. The advice about documenting everything with screenshots and having recent tax documents ready for application is exactly the kind of practical wisdom I was looking for. It's also good to know about services like Claimyr for when I actually need to get through to a human at SSA. Thanks to everyone who shared their real-world experiences - this community knowledge is invaluable for understanding what to actually expect from this process rather than just relying on official government materials that don't seem to capture these important nuances!