Anybody know if investment income counts toward the earning limit? I have some dividend stocks and rental property income besides my regular job.

Thanks everyone for the helpful information! I think I have a much better understanding now. I'll keep my earnings under $22,320 for 2025, and be mindful of that higher threshold in early 2026 before I hit my FRA in June. I'm going to set up a spreadsheet to track my earnings monthly to make sure I don't accidentally go over.

One more thing to consider: if you return to work, especially at a good salary like $55,000, you'll be adding to your lifetime earnings record. Social Security calculates your benefit amount based on your highest 35 years of earnings. If this new job would replace a lower-earning year or a zero in your calculation, you could actually increase your benefit amount going forward, beyond just the adjustment for withheld benefits.

Just want to add one practical tip that helped me when I was in a similar situation: consider asking your potential employer if there's any flexibility in when you start or how your compensation is structured. Some employers are willing to delay a start date by a few months if it helps with your Social Security situation, or they might be able to structure part of your compensation as benefits rather than salary (which wouldn't count toward the earnings test). It's worth having that conversation since many employers these days are more understanding about Social Security considerations for older workers. Good luck with whatever you decide!

my uncle says just take the higher number and dont ask questions lol. but seriously they should all be using the same calculator right?? makes u wonder if theyre just making up numbers sometimes

I'm dealing with a similar situation right now - delayed until 69 and getting different numbers from different reps. What I've learned is that you need to be very specific about what you're asking for. Here's what helped me: 1. **Ask for your exact PIA first** - this is your base benefit at full retirement age 2. **Request the DRC calculation separately** - 8% per year (or 2/3% per month) for each month past FRA 3. **Clarify if they're including Medicare Part B deductions** - this can be $174.70/month difference 4. **Ask which COLA adjustments they're applying and when** - this affects the final calculation I also found it helpful to schedule an in-person appointment at my local SSA office. The field office staff seemed more knowledgeable about delayed retirement calculations than the 1-800 number representatives. They were able to print out a detailed benefit calculation worksheet that showed exactly how they arrived at my final benefit amount. Don't give up - you deserve an accurate calculation after delaying your benefits to get those credits!

There's an important distinction to clarify: When calculating survivor benefits, the benefit amount starts with what your deceased spouse was receiving or would have received. However, the reduction for claiming early is based on YOUR age when you claim, not your deceased spouse's age when they claimed or would have claimed. And yes, all Social Security beneficiaries receive the same COLA percentage regardless of benefit type or claiming age. For 2024, the COLA was 3.2%, and as another commenter mentioned, 2025 is projected to be around 2.5% based on current inflation data.

I'm so sorry for your loss, Avery. I went through a similar situation about 5 years ago when my husband passed unexpectedly. I wanted to share some additional reassurance about the COLA situation - I've been receiving survivor benefits since I was 59 (I qualified early due to caring for our disabled son), and I have received every single COLA increase without fail. The January 2025 increase of 2.5% was applied to my benefit just like everyone else's. One thing that really helped me was creating a simple spreadsheet to track my monthly benefit amount and the COLA increases over time - it's actually quite reassuring to see that steady upward adjustment helping to maintain your purchasing power. The SSA is very consistent about applying these increases across all benefit types. You're making a smart financial decision by claiming survivor benefits now and switching to your own retirement later if it will be higher. Wishing you all the best during this difficult time.

The simplest way to remember it: The COLA always applies starting with the payment you receive in January, regardless of what month that payment is technically for. The SSA implements the COLA increase on a calendar year basis (Jan-Dec), not based on which month's benefits are being paid. Hope that helps clear things up!

does anyone know what the 2025 COLA will actually be? heard rumors about 2.5% but not sure if thats real