What's my exact Social Security benefit amount at Full Retirement Age (FRA)?
I'm turning 66 and 6 months next year (which I think is my FRA?). I've tried calculating what I'll get but I'm getting different numbers every time. My earnings history is pretty consistent - I've made around $65,000 annually for the last 20 years. The SSA website estimator says one thing, but when I talked to someone at the office, they gave me a different number. Is there a standard amount everyone gets at FRA or does it depend on what you earned? And does it matter that I took 3 years off work to care for my mom in 2015-2018? I'm trying to decide if I should wait until 70 to file or just take it at FRA. Any help would be appreciated!
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Xan Dae
There's no standard amount everyone gets at FRA. Your Social Security retirement benefit is based on your highest 35 years of earnings (adjusted for inflation). The SSA calculates your Average Indexed Monthly Earnings (AIME), then applies a formula to determine your Primary Insurance Amount (PIA) - that's your benefit at FRA. Those 3 years off work might slightly affect your benefit if you don't have 35 years of other earnings to fill in. Each $0 year brings down your average. For reference, the maximum possible benefit at FRA in 2025 is around $3,800 monthly, but that's only for people who earned at the taxable maximum for 35+ years. With your income history, you're probably looking at somewhere between $1,800-$2,400 monthly at FRA.
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Isaiah Sanders
•Thank you! Is there a way to check exactly which 35 years they're using? And what's the increase if I wait until 70? I've heard 8% per year but wasn't sure if that's right.
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Fiona Gallagher
Everybody gets different amounts! My sister and I both worked about the same number of years but she gets $389 more than me every month. Makes no sense!
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Thais Soares
•It actually makes perfect sense if you understand how the system works. Your benefit amount is calculated based on your 35 highest-earning years, indexed for inflation. If your sister consistently earned more than you or had fewer zero/low-earning years in her record, she'd naturally receive more. The system is designed to be proportional to your contributions, though it's weighted to replace a higher percentage of income for lower earners.
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Nalani Liu
I went through exactly this last year! Create a my Social Security account on ssa.gov if you haven't already. You can see your entire earnings history there and get a more accurate estimate. Those 3 years caring for your mom will show as $0 earnings years. And yes, waiting until 70 gives you an 8% increase for each year after your FRA, so that's about a 28% higher monthly payment than taking it at 66 and 6 months. But remember, you're giving up 3.5 years of payments to get that higher amount, so it takes time to break even (around age 82-83 typically). I was in a similar earnings bracket and got about $2,250/month at my FRA.
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Isaiah Sanders
•I do have the my Social Security account, but I'm not sure how to tell which 35 years they're actually using for the calculation. Is there a way to see that breakdown?
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Axel Bourke
The SSA is IMPOSSIBLE to get clear answers from!!! I spent THREE WEEKS calling them about my benefit amount and could never get through. When I finally did, they gave me THREE DIFFERENT AMOUNTS on three different calls!!! The system is completely broken!!!
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Aidan Percy
•I had the same issue until I used Claimyr to get through to an agent. It let me skip the hold time and I was talking to someone in minutes. I watched their video demo first (https://youtu.be/Z-BRbJw3puU) and it worked exactly like they showed. The agent walked me through my benefit calculation step by step. Finally got a clear answer about my FRA amount.
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Fernanda Marquez
You can get a rough idea by looking at ur earnings statement from SSA. Benefit at FRA is like 40% of pre-retirement income for most ppl. So if u made 65k, that's about 5400/mo, so maybe around 2200/mo benefit? just a guess tho
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Xan Dae
•That's actually pretty close! The replacement rate varies based on your income level (it's progressive, replacing more for lower earners). For average earners, it's typically about 40% as you mentioned. The exact formula uses 'bend points' to calculate the PIA from the AIME, but your quick estimation method works reasonably well for back-of-envelope calculations.
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Isaiah Sanders
Thanks everyone for your help. I'm still a bit confused about how they pick the 35 years. Do they just take the highest 35 regardless of when they occurred? Or do they have to be consecutive? And does anyone know if I'll get penalized if I work part-time after starting benefits?
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Nalani Liu
•They take your highest 35 years of earnings regardless of when they occurred - they don't need to be consecutive. And about working part-time: once you reach your FRA, there's no penalty for working while collecting benefits. Before FRA, there's an earnings test that might reduce benefits temporarily (but you get that money back later). For 2025, if you're under FRA for the full year, you can earn up to about $22,000 without reduction; beyond that, they withhold $1 in benefits for every $2 you earn above the limit.
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Fiona Gallagher
My neighbor waited till 70 and then died at 71!! All that waiting for nothing! Take it when you can get it, that's what I say!
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Thais Soares
•While I understand the sentiment, this is anecdotal evidence that doesn't necessarily apply to everyone. Statistical evidence suggests that for someone with average health and longevity in their family, delaying benefits can result in substantially higher lifetime benefits if they live past their early 80s. The decision to claim early or delay should be based on personal health, financial situation, family longevity, and retirement plans - not fear of missing out.
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Fernanda Marquez
did u check if u qualify for spousal benefits? might get more that way depending on what ur spouse earned
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Isaiah Sanders
•I'm divorced (after 20 years of marriage) and never remarried. My ex made about the same as me income-wise. I know I can claim on his record since we were married over 10 years, but I think my own benefit would be higher? Not sure how to compare them.
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Xan Dae
To answer your question about seeing which 35 years SSA uses: Unfortunately, the my Social Security portal doesn't show exactly which years they're using in the calculation. They take your highest 35 years after indexing them for inflation (older earnings get adjusted upward). Regarding your divorce situation: You can claim on your ex-spouse's record if you were married 10+ years and haven't remarried. You'd get 50% of their FRA benefit amount if that's higher than your own benefit. With similar earnings histories, your own benefit is likely higher, but it's worth checking with SSA. And yes, the delayed retirement credit is 8% per year after FRA until age 70, so waiting from 66+6mo to 70 would give you about a 28% larger monthly benefit for life.
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Isaiah Sanders
•Thank you so much for the detailed explanation! This has been incredibly helpful. I think I'll schedule an appointment with the SSA to go over all these options before making my final decision.
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