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Do I still get COLA increases on Social Security if I've delayed claiming past FRA?

Hi everyone, I'm trying to figure out the best strategy for my Social Security benefits. I turned 67 (my full retirement age) last month but decided to delay collecting to increase my monthly amount. What I can't figure out is whether I'll still get the annual cost-of-living adjustments (COLAs) even though I'm not receiving payments yet. Does SSA still apply COLA increases to my benefit amount while I'm delaying? I've tried finding a straight answer on the SSA website but keep going in circles. Thanks for any help!

Dylan Baskin

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Yes, you absolutely get COLA increases even while you're delaying benefits past your FRA! The SSA applies the annual COLA to your benefit amount regardless of whether you're collecting yet or not. So when you finally do claim, your benefit will include all COLAs that occurred since you turned 62. This is on top of the 8% per year delayed retirement credits you're earning by waiting past your FRA. It's actually a really smart strategy if you can afford to wait.

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Hunter Brighton

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Oh that's such a relief to hear! I was worried I'd miss out on those increases while waiting. So basically my benefit amount is growing both from the 8% delayed credits AND from whatever the COLA is each year? That sounds like a win-win if I can hold out longer.

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Lauren Wood

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i waited til 70 to collect and got all the colas plus the extra 24% for waiting past my fra. best decision ever. now getting $4150/mo which woulda been like $2800 if i took it at 67

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Ellie Lopez

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Wow that's almost $50,000 a year just from SS! Did you have a special job or something? My husband got nowhere near that amount.

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Chad Winthrope

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The previous answers are correct, but I wanted to add some technical details. The COLA is applied to your Primary Insurance Amount (PIA), which is the benefit amount you'd receive at your Full Retirement Age. Then, when you decide to claim benefits, the delayed retirement credits (DRCs) are applied on top of your COLA-adjusted PIA. For example, if your PIA at 67 was $3,000, and there's a 3% COLA the following year, your PIA becomes $3,090. If you wait until 68 to claim, you'll get that $3,090 plus 8% in DRCs, making your monthly benefit approximately $3,337. If there's another 2.5% COLA the next year, your PIA becomes $3,167, and claiming at 69 would give you 16% in DRCs on top of that, etc.

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Paige Cantoni

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Thx for breaking down the math! BUT does SS actually calculate it that way? I thought they just take your original benefit at FRA and then add ALL the increases at the end when you finally apply??? The SSA website is SO confusing on this!

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Kylo Ren

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Yes you DEF get the COLA! My husband and I both delayed till 69 and we got all the increases from inflation AND the extra 16% for waiting. BUT make sure you understand that Medicare doesn't wait - you should still sign up at 65 for Medicare even if you delay SS!!! We messed that up and had to pay a penalty. Don't make our mistake!!!

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Hunter Brighton

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Thanks for the Medicare reminder! I did enroll in Medicare when I turned 65, so I'm covered there. I'm just trying to maximize my SS benefit since I'm still working part-time and don't need the income yet.

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Nina Fitzgerald

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So glad you asked this question because I was wondering the exact same thing! I'm 66 and trying to decide whether to take benefits now or wait. My financial advisor told me it's better to take it now because of "opportunity cost" of missing out on that money for 3-4 years. But if I get both the 8% increase AND the COLA increases while waiting, that changes my calculations. Does anyone know if the break-even point calculations that financial advisors use include the COLA factor?

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Dylan Baskin

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Great question about break-even calculations. Many basic break-even calculators don't account for COLAs, which skews the results toward claiming earlier. A proper analysis should include both the guaranteed 8% delayed retirement credits AND estimated COLAs. Your life expectancy and tax situation are also crucial factors. I'd suggest asking your advisor specifically if their model includes COLAs in the calculation.

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Ellie Lopez

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My sister said you only get cola if your already getting checks. She got bad advice from someone at SS office who told her to take benefits at 62!!! Don't trust what they say there.

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Chad Winthrope

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Unfortunately, there's a lot of misinformation out there, even sometimes from SSA employees. The official policy is clear: COLAs are applied to your benefit calculation whether you're collecting or not. Your sister might have been better off waiting if her financial situation allowed for it, but each person's circumstances are different. The claiming decision should be based on health status, financial need, and life expectancy.

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Kylo Ren

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Im having THE WORST time trying to get through to SSA to ask questions like this!! Been trying for WEEKS to talk to someone about my application status. Busy signals, disconnects, or 2+ hour wait times that end in nothing. So frustrating!!!!

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Paige Cantoni

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Have you tried using Claimyr? It helped me get through to SSA after weeks of trying on my own. Their service calls SSA for you and then connects you when an agent is on the line. Saved me hours of frustration. Check out their demo at https://youtu.be/Z-BRbJw3puU or go to claimyr.com - was totally worth it for me when I needed to straighten out my benefit calculation.

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Lauren Wood

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my cousin works for ssa and says sometimes the cola is bigger than the 8% delay credit depending on inflation. last years cola was what, like 8.7%? that was higher than waiting benefit. but ya still get both

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Hunter Brighton

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That's an interesting point about inflation! I hadn't thought about comparing the COLA percentage to the delayed retirement credits. Thanks for bringing that up - gives me more to consider in my planning.

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Nina Fitzgerald

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One thing nobody's mentioned yet - don't forget about taxes! Depending on your other income, up to 85% of your SS benefits might be taxable. If you're still working and delay benefits, you might end up in a lower tax bracket when you finally do claim if you're retired by then. Something else to factor into your decision.

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Chad Winthrope

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Excellent point about the tax implications. This is why claiming strategies should be personalized. If your combined income (adjusted gross income + nontaxable interest + half of SS benefits) exceeds certain thresholds, your benefits become taxable. Timing your Social Security to minimize lifetime tax burden can significantly impact overall retirement income.

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