Social Security calculators that handle variable future income years before FRA?
I'm trying to plan my retirement and need a better calculator than what's on the SSA website. Their calculator only lets me put in one average future salary amount, but my situation is more complicated. I want to model working full-time for 2 more years (about $87,000/year), then cutting back to part-time ($42,000/year) for 3 years, then completely stopping work 2 years before my Full Retirement Age. Are there any better tools that let me enter different earnings for specific future years? I've looked at some financial planning apps but they seem focused on investments rather than projecting the actual SS benefit with variable income years. Any suggestions?
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Vanessa Figueroa
Have you tried the 'Detailed Calculator' from SSA? It's not on their website - you have to download it. Search for 'SSA ANYPIA calculator' and you'll find it. It lets you enter year-by-year earnings projections. It's not the most user-friendly software (looks like it was designed in the 90s), but it does exactly what you need. You'll need your earnings history which you can get from your Social Security statement.
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Diez Ellis
•Thanks! I hadn't heard of ANYPIA. I'll look for it. Does it run on Mac computers or just Windows?
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Abby Marshall
i tried somethng called social security solutions dot co (not sure if i can post links) and it was pretty good for this. costs money tho
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Diez Ellis
•Thanks for the suggestion. I'll check it out. Do you remember roughly how much it costs?
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Abby Marshall
•i think like $40 for basic and maybe $250 for the premium one? i just did the basic one and it was fine for what i needed
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Sadie Benitez
I'm a retired financial planner who specialized in Social Security claiming strategies. Let me clarify a few things: 1. The ANYPIA calculator mentioned above is powerful but complex. It runs on Windows only. 2. For your specific situation, you might want to look at these options: - MaximizeMySocialSecurity.com (~$40/year) - SocialSecuritySolutions.com (various price points) - OpenSocialSecurity.com (free but less user-friendly) All of these allow variable future earnings. The paid options provide more guidance and scenario comparisons. Remember that your benefit is based on your highest 35 years of earnings (indexed for inflation). If you already have 35+ years of good earnings, working part-time or stopping early might not affect your benefit much. If you have fewer than 35 years of earnings, adding even low-earning years can help.
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Diez Ellis
•Thank you so much for these detailed suggestions! I have 31 years of earnings history, so those last few years do matter. I'll check out the options you listed. The MaximizeMySocialSecurity one sounds reasonably priced.
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Drew Hathaway
Have you tried calling SSA directly? I've been trying for WEEKS to get someone on the phone to help with my retirement questions. Always busy signals or disconnections after waiting forever!!
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Laila Prince
•I had the same problem trying to reach SSA about my disability application status. I finally used a service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that got me through to a real person at SSA in about 20 minutes instead of waiting on hold all day. Worked perfectly. They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/Z-BRbJw3puU
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Isabel Vega
Heh, you're overthinking this. Just work as long as you can and claim at 70. That's what I did and my benefit is WAY higher than all my friends who claimed early.
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Sadie Benitez
•While delaying until 70 does maximize your monthly benefit (approximately 8% increase for each year you delay past FRA), the optimal claiming strategy depends on many factors including health, other income sources, marital status, and life expectancy. What worked for you may not be optimal for someone with different circumstances.
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Dominique Adams
Wait I'm confused...I thought SSI and Social Security were the same thing? Which calculator should I use if I'm on disability but turning 65 next year?
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Sadie Benitez
•SSI (Supplemental Security Income) and Social Security retirement are different programs: - SSI is needs-based for people with limited income/resources who are disabled, blind, or 65+ - Social Security retirement is based on your work history and payroll tax contributions If you're receiving Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI), it automatically converts to retirement benefits when you reach Full Retirement Age (66-67 depending on birth year). The amount stays the same. If you're on SSI (which maxes at about $943/month in 2025), you should contact SSA directly as your situation requires personalized guidance.
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Diez Ellis
Thanks everyone for the great suggestions! I downloaded ANYPIA but it's pretty complicated. I'm going to try MaximizeMySocialSecurity.com since it seems more user-friendly and the price is reasonable. I'm also realizing that because I only have 31 years of earnings, even my reduced-income years will help fill in those missing years in my top 35. That's something I didn't fully understand before.
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Sadie Benitez
•You've got it! Even those lower-earning years will help if they're replacing zeros in your calculation. Good luck with your planning!
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