Why isn't my Social Security FRA benefit amount updating with recent earnings and COLA increases?

The mySocialSecurity benefit estimates aren't always updated in real-time. Your actual benefit will almost certainly be higher than what you're seeing. The SSA typically updates earnings records once a year after employers submit W-2s, usually around September. Also, the online calculator doesn't always incorporate the most recent COLA adjustments until they're officially applied. When you apply, the SSA will calculate your PIA (Primary Insurance Amount) using your highest 35 years of earnings indexed for inflation, plus all applicable COLA increases. The 8.7% COLA from 2023 and 3.2% from 2024 alone should make a noticeable difference.

I had the EXACT same issue!!! I checked mine for THREE YEARS and it showed the same amount ($2,135) even though I was working full time and making more each year. When I finally applied last year, my actual benefit came out almost $375 higher than what the website showed!!! The SSA rep told me their website estimates are often NOT updated with recent earnings or COLA increases. It's RIDICULOUS they can't keep this stuff current!!! How are we supposed to plan for retirement with WRONG information????

This is a known issue with the mySocialSecurity portal. The benefit estimator often doesn't incorporate your most recent 1-2 years of earnings because they haven't been processed into the system yet. Additionally, COLA adjustments aren't always reflected in future benefit estimates until they're actually applied to current beneficiaries. When you apply, make sure to verify that all your earnings history is correct, especially the last few years. The SSA will then calculate your benefit based on your highest 35 years of earnings (adjusted for inflation) plus all applicable COLA increases since you turned 62. If you want a more accurate estimate now, you can call SSA directly and ask them to calculate your current estimated benefit with recent earnings and COLA adjustments included. Make sure to have your recent W-2s or tax returns handy.

The same thing happened with my husband. His estimate stayed at $2,230 for years, then when he actually filed it ended up being $2,675! Nearly $450 more each month! I think they just don't update those online estimates very often.

dont worry bout it mine was wrong too lol. the computer dont update right but they fix it when u apply

The estimate shown on mySocialSecurity is based on several assumptions that may not reflect your current situation: 1. It often uses earnings data that's 1-2 years old 2. It may not incorporate recent COLA adjustments (8.7% in 2023 and 3.2% in 2024) 3. It assumes steady earnings until your retirement age When you file for benefits, the SSA will calculate your actual Primary Insurance Amount (PIA) using your complete earnings history and all applicable COLA adjustments. It's quite common for the actual benefit to be higher than the online estimate, especially if you've continued working and there have been significant COLA increases. Make your appointment for April as planned, but be prepared with questions about how your benefit was calculated if the amount seems different from what you expected.

i think they only update ss.gov once a year? my page didnt update for like 18 months then suddenly jumped up last fall

DONT TRUST THE WEBSITE!!! When I retired last year my ACTUAL benefit was $310 more than what SS.gov showed for THREE YEARS!!! The website is USELESS for planning!!

When you make your appointment in April, bring your most recent W-2s or tax returns for the past 3 years. This will help ensure all your recent earnings are properly credited. In the meantime, you can get a rough idea of your benefit by taking the current estimate and adding the COLA increases: - 2023 COLA: 8.7% - 2024 COLA: 3.2% - 2025 COLA: Not yet announced So if your current estimate is $2,650, it might be closer to $2,960 after accounting for recent COLAs and earnings (depending on your specific situation). I recommend applying 3 months before you want benefits to begin, so your April timeline sounds perfect for a July start date.

This is such a common issue! I went through the exact same thing with my mySocialSecurity account showing the same benefit estimate for over 2 years. What I learned is that the SSA typically updates their earnings database in batches, usually in the fall after they receive all the W-2 data from employers. The good news is that when you apply, they'll use your complete, up-to-date earnings record to calculate your actual benefit. This includes all your recent work history and applies every COLA adjustment since you turned 62. I've seen people get pleasant surprises of $200-400 more per month than their online estimate showed. One tip: when you go to your appointment, ask them to walk through how they calculated your PIA (Primary Insurance Amount). They should be able to show you exactly which years of earnings they used and how the COLA adjustments were applied. This will give you confidence that everything was calculated correctly. Your April appointment timeline is perfect for a July benefit start date. Don't stress too much about the outdated online estimate - you'll likely be pleasantly surprised by your actual benefit amount!

I experienced this exact same frustration! My mySocialSecurity estimate was frozen at the same amount for nearly 3 years despite continuous work and COLA increases. When I finally applied at my FRA last year, my actual benefit was $285 higher than the online estimate. The SSA representative explained that their online system often lags behind by 12-24 months in incorporating recent earnings, and the benefit calculator doesn't automatically factor in COLA adjustments for future benefit projections. Your actual benefit calculation will include your complete indexed earnings history through your application date, plus all COLA increases that have been applied since you turned 62. Given that we've had significant COLA increases recently (8.7% in 2023 and 3.2% in 2024), plus your continued earnings, I'd expect your actual benefit to be meaningfully higher than your current $2,650 estimate. When you apply in April, they'll do the real calculation with all current data - that's when you'll get your accurate number.

I'm dealing with this exact same issue right now! My mySocialSecurity account has been showing the same benefit estimate for almost 2.5 years, even though I've been working full-time and we've had those big COLA increases. It's so frustrating when you're trying to plan for retirement and can't trust the numbers on the official government website. Reading everyone's responses here is really reassuring though - it sounds like this is just how their system works (or doesn't work). I'm planning to file in a few months and now I'm actually excited that my real benefit might be higher than what I've been seeing online. Has anyone tried printing out their current earnings record from mySocialSecurity to see if recent years are missing? I'm curious if that's an easy way to spot whether your recent work history is being captured or not.

This is such a common and frustrating experience! I went through the exact same thing - my mySocialSecurity estimate was stuck at the same amount for over 2 years despite working full-time and those significant COLA increases we've had recently. When I finally applied last fall, my actual benefit ended up being about $340 higher per month than what the website had been showing me! The SSA representative explained that their online estimates often don't include your most recent 1-2 years of earnings, and they don't automatically factor in COLA adjustments for future benefit projections. Your timing is perfect for applying in April for July benefits. When you go to your appointment, definitely ask them to show you how they calculated your Primary Insurance Amount (PIA) so you can see exactly which earnings years they used and how the COLA increases were applied. Also bring your recent W-2s or tax returns - this helps ensure all your recent work is properly credited. Given the 8.7% COLA in 2023 and 3.2% in 2024, plus your continued earnings, I'd expect your actual benefit to be meaningfully higher than that $2,650 estimate you've been seeing. Don't stress about the outdated online numbers - you'll get the real calculation when you apply!

This is such a widespread issue and it's really unfortunate that SSA's online system can't keep up with real-time updates. I'm currently dealing with this exact situation myself - my estimate has been frozen for about 2 years now despite continued work and those substantial COLA increases. What's particularly frustrating is that this forces people to make retirement planning decisions based on potentially outdated information. The fact that so many people here have experienced pleasant surprises of $200-400+ more per month when they actually applied shows just how unreliable these online estimates can be. For anyone else in this situation, it seems like the key takeaways are: 1) Don't panic if your online estimate seems frozen, 2) Bring recent W-2s/tax returns to your appointment, 3) Ask them to explain the PIA calculation so you understand how they arrived at your benefit amount, and 4) Apply 3 months before you want benefits to start. It's encouraging to see so many positive outcomes here where actual benefits exceeded the stale online estimates. Hopefully SSA can improve their system updates in the future, but for now at least we know the real calculation at application time uses current, complete data.