Earning while collecting Social Security at FRA - will they take back my benefits when working?

Good news! Once you reach your Full Retirement Age (FRA), there's NO EARNINGS LIMIT. That means you can collect 100% of your Social Security retirement benefit while earning any amount from working. The earnings limit (which causes benefit withholding) only applies to people who collect before reaching their FRA. So in your case, you'll receive your full SS payment regardless of your $86,000 salary. Working longer can actually increase your benefit through potential recomputations if these are your high-earning years. It's a win-win situation for you!

Your brother in law is thinking about the earnings test that happens BEFORE full retirement age. For example im 63 taking SS and working part time so they reduce my benefit. But your at FRA so you get the whole thing no matter how much you make! congrats

The previous replies are correct. Once you reach Full Retirement Age, the earnings test no longer applies. You can earn unlimited income without any reduction in your Social Security benefits. However, there are two other important considerations: 1) Taxation - Up to 85% of your Social Security benefits may be subject to income tax depending on your combined income. With $86,000 in earnings plus your SS benefits, you will likely pay taxes on 85% of your benefits. 2) Medicare IRMAA - Higher income can trigger Income-Related Monthly Adjustment Amounts for Medicare Part B and D premiums when you enroll in Medicare. This isn't a reduction in Social Security, but higher Medicare premiums are often deducted from SS payments. Working longer is generally beneficial as it might increase your primary insurance amount (PIA) if these are high-earning years for you.

THE SSA LIES ABOUT THIS ALL THE TIME!!! I worked after FRA and they took money from me for MONTHS before finally fixing it!!! Had to call literally 37 times and visit the office twice. They kept saying it was "processing" but they were STEALING my money!! Be prepared for a FIGHT even though they're not supposed to reduce benefits after FRA!!!!

my uncle had the same question last yr. he got full payment even while working full time after his FRA. no problems at all.

If you're having trouble getting through to Social Security to verify this information or set up your benefits, I'd recommend trying Claimyr. I was in a similar situation last year and kept getting disconnected when calling SSA (waited over 2 hours multiple times). Claimyr got me connected to an actual SSA agent in about 15 minutes. Totally worth it for peace of mind on something this important. They have a demo video showing how it works at https://youtu.be/Z-BRbJw3puU and their website is claimyr.com. It really saved me a lot of frustration!

oops i think i did this wrong! i started ss at 66 (my FRA) last year but still working and they ARE taking some $ out of my check each month??? should i call them??

i was just wondering...does anyone know if the rules different for self-employed people? My sister thinks theres special rules if you own your business vs being an employee.

Thanks everyone for the helpful responses! Sounds like I can go ahead and apply for my retirement benefits at FRA without worrying about reductions due to my work income. I'll need to plan for the tax implications, but at least I'll be getting my full benefit amount. Really appreciate all the input and personal experiences shared!

Just wanted to add my experience here - I'm 68 and have been collecting Social Security for over a year while still working full-time making around $75k. Can confirm there's absolutely no reduction in my monthly benefit! The tax hit is real though - definitely plan for that. Also, if you're still getting employer health insurance, you might want to research when you need to enroll in Medicare Part B to avoid penalties later. The coordination between employer coverage and Medicare can be tricky, so it's worth understanding those rules too. Overall though, it's been great having both incomes!

Great thread! As someone who works in benefits administration, I can confirm everything said here is accurate. One small detail to add - when you file for Social Security at FRA while still working, make sure to let them know about your work status during the application process. This helps prevent any automated systems from incorrectly applying earnings limits. Also, since you're planning to work 3-4 more years, those continued earnings could potentially increase your benefit amount through annual recalculations if any of those years end up in your top 35 earning years. The system automatically checks this each year and adjusts your benefit upward if warranted (though it never goes down). You're making a smart financial move!

Just want to echo what everyone else has said - you're golden once you hit FRA! I'm 69 and have been collecting SS while working part-time ($35k/year) for the past two years with zero issues. The key thing that helped me was getting everything set up properly from the start. When I applied, I made sure to explicitly tell them I was planning to continue working and provided my expected annual earnings. This seemed to prevent any system glitches or automated holds on my benefits. One thing I'd suggest is keeping good records of your earnings throughout the year - not because SSA will reduce your benefits (they won't!), but because it helps with tax planning. With your $86k salary plus SS benefits, you'll definitely want to consider quarterly estimated tax payments to avoid a big bill at tax time. The "good problem to have" of managing two income streams! Best of luck with your application process.