Just wanted to add something that might help with your planning - since you mentioned wanting to be extra careful about the earnings limit before your FRA month. You can actually request that SSA withhold taxes from your Social Security benefits if you're concerned about the tax implications of having both work income and SS benefits. This can help avoid a big tax bill at the end of the year. You can set this up through your my Social Security account online or by submitting Form W-4V. Given that you'll have both salary and SS income for part of the year, it might be worth considering to make tax time easier!

Great thread with lots of helpful info! I'm in a similar situation and wanted to share what I learned from my own research. The key thing that helped me was understanding that the SSA uses something called the "monthly earnings test" for the year you reach FRA. So for the months before your FRA (January-July in your case), they look at whether you earn more than 1/12th of the annual limit in any given month, not just the total for those months. With the 2025 limit of $58,920 for the pre-FRA months, that works out to about $4,910 per month. If your $78k salary is spread evenly, you're looking at about $6,500/month, which would put you over the monthly limit. But don't panic - they only withhold $1 for every $3 over the limit, and as others mentioned, you get it back later through higher payments. Just something to factor into your planning!

btw that 73 days felt long to you but my sister waited almost 6 MONTHS for her disability claim (SSDI) to go through. SS retirement is WAY faster than disability. just be thankful you werent applying for that!!

I actually had to adjust all my automatic bill payments when I found out about the payment schedule. Most of my utilities were set to draft on the 5th of each month assuming my SS would arrive on the 1st. Had to change everything to the day after my scheduled payment date. Bit of a hassle but worth it to avoid potential overdrafts.

I'm dealing with a similar situation right now! I started receiving benefits in November 2024 and my birthday is on the 23rd. Got my November and December payments on the 3rd like clockwork, but then nothing on January 3rd. I was panicking until I found this thread! Just checked my SSA account online like Dylan suggested and sure enough, my January payment is scheduled for the 22nd (fourth Wednesday). It's really frustrating that they don't send any kind of notification about this change. I've already had to explain to my landlord why my rent will be late this month. Going to start calling all my creditors tomorrow to adjust due dates. Thanks everyone for sharing your experiences - at least now I know I'm not alone and this is "normal" (even though it shouldn't be such a surprise!).

As someone who works in retirement planning, I see this confusion all the time with new Social Security recipients. The SSA really needs to do better at communicating these payment schedule changes - it's one of the most common complaints I hear from clients. For anyone else reading this thread, here's a pro tip: if you're planning to start Social Security benefits, ask specifically about your payment schedule during your application process. The representatives should be able to tell you exactly when your payments will arrive based on your birth date. Also, consider building a small buffer in your checking account for the first few months to avoid any payment timing surprises. The birth date payment schedule has been in place since 1997, but somehow new beneficiaries are rarely informed about it clearly. It's definitely worth calling SSA to confirm your specific schedule, especially if you have any other factors that might affect your payments (like working while receiving benefits or having Medicare premiums deducted).

Welcome to the community! I just wanted to chime in as another newcomer who's been learning a lot from threads like this. I'm approaching 70 myself and have been wrestling with similar questions about work and Social Security. Reading through everyone's responses here has been incredibly educational. It's so helpful to see real experiences from people who've actually navigated this situation. The distinction between benefit reduction (which doesn't happen after FRA) and increased taxation (which can happen based on income) really clarified things for me. I'm curious - for those of you who went back to work after starting Social Security, did you find that the extra income changed your spending habits or retirement planning in any unexpected ways? I'm wondering if earning additional income might affect decisions about things like long-term care insurance or estate planning. Thanks to everyone for sharing your knowledge and experiences. This kind of peer-to-peer advice is invaluable when trying to make these important financial decisions!

As someone who recently went through this exact decision process, I can absolutely confirm what everyone else is saying - your Social Security benefits will NOT be reduced once you've reached Full Retirement Age, regardless of how much you earn from working. I started my SS at 70 last year and took on some part-time consulting work about 8 months later. My monthly Social Security payment has remained exactly the same. What did change was my tax situation - I now owe more in taxes because a higher percentage of my SS benefits became taxable due to the additional income. The confusion often comes from people saying their "Social Security money" went down, when what they really mean is their take-home amount decreased due to taxes, not that their actual benefit was reduced. Your neighbor is likely experiencing this tax impact, not an actual benefit cut. One thing I'd add that hasn't been mentioned much - make sure you understand how this might affect your state taxes too, not just federal. Some states tax Social Security benefits and some don't, so the impact can vary depending on where you live. Go for the consulting opportunity! You waited until 70 for maximum benefits for exactly this reason - to have the flexibility to work if you want to without penalties. Just plan ahead for the tax implications and you'll be fine.

This is such a helpful thread! I'm dealing with a similar situation but with one key difference - my disabled adult child is already 25 and has never been on SSI because our income was too high when he turned 18. Will he still be eligible for DAC benefits on my record when I file for retirement? I've heard conflicting information about whether there's an age limit or if prior SSI receipt is required. Also wondering if the timing of when I file matters - should I wait until my FRA to maximize his benefit, or does it not matter since DAC is based on my PIA regardless?

I'm in a somewhat similar situation and this thread has been incredibly helpful! One thing I wanted to add - when dealing with the transition from SSI to DAC benefits, it's worth contacting your state's disability advocacy organization. They often have specialists who can help navigate the Medicaid continuation process and make sure nothing falls through the cracks. In my experience, having an advocate involved made the whole process much smoother and faster. Also, regarding the conflicting information from SSA reps - I've found it helpful to ask for the specific policy manual section they're referencing. Sometimes they'll look it up on the spot and give you a more accurate answer, or at least you'll have something concrete to reference in future calls. The whole family maximum calculation can be really tricky with multiple benefit types involved, but the key is getting everything documented in writing before any changes are made to existing benefits.