Social Security start date confusion - born in August 1958 with FRA of 66 and 8 months

Social Security payments are made the month AFTER they are due. So if your FRA is 66 years and 8 months, that would put your full retirement age in April 2025. Your first payment would be received in May 2025 (for April). Also remember that SS payments are typically deposited on the 2nd, 3rd, or 4th Wednesday of the month, depending on your birth date. Since you were born on a day in August, your payment would likely be on the 3rd Wednesday of each month.

im pretty sure its the month you actually turn 66+8mo. so count from aug 1958 and add 66y and 8m. that gives you april 2025. then you get paid for april in MAY. SS always pays a month behind

Just to add some clarity: Social Security calculates your FRA based on the month you reach that age. For someone born in August 1958 with an FRA of 66 and 8 months, you would reach your FRA in April 2025. However, there's an important detail to consider: SS benefits are paid in the month following the month for which they are due. So your April 2025 benefits would be paid in May 2025. One thing to note: If you were born on the 1st of August, there's a special rule - you would actually be eligible for the previous month (March in this case), with payment arriving in April. But since you didn't specify being born on the 1st, I'm assuming the standard rule applies.

Yes, you should definitely apply in advance! The SSA recommends applying 3-4 months before you want benefits to begin. So if you want your benefits to start in April 2025 (with first payment in May), you should apply in December 2024 or January 2025 at the latest. This gives them time to process your application and ensures there's no delay in your payments. You can apply online at ssa.gov, which is usually the fastest method.

I went through this exact scenario last year (different birth month but same FRA calculation). I applied online in January for an April FRA start date, but then had issues with my application. Tried calling SSA for weeks but couldn't get through - constant busy signals or disconnects after waiting for hours. Finally discovered a service called Claimyr that got me through to an SSA agent in under 10 minutes. They connected me directly to SSA without the wait. Their website is claimyr.com and they have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/Z-BRbJw3puU Worth every penny because the agent fixed my application issue right away, and my first payment arrived on time in May for my April FRA. Just sharing because trying to reach SSA can be incredibly frustrating when you need to sort something out before your benefits start.

When does everyone think is the best time to start collecting? I'm also born in 1958 but I'm thinking about waiting until 70 to get those delayed retirement credits. My financial advisor says it's an 8% increase for each year after FRA!

one more thing!! make sure u check ur earnings record on the my social security site BEFORE u apply. my wife had missing years and it took MONTHS to fix! better to check now

Just to summarize for you (and anyone else with the same question): 1. For someone born in August 1958, FRA is 66 years and 8 months 2. This puts your FRA in April 2025 3. Your first benefit payment would be received in May 2025 (for April) 4. Apply 3-4 months before April 2025 (so December 2024 or January 2025) 5. Check your earnings record now to ensure it's accurate 6. Sign up for a my Social Security account at ssa.gov if you haven't already Following these steps should ensure a smooth transition to receiving your benefits at FRA.