Will Social Security benefit amount change if I retire early but delay claiming until FRA?

You're mostly on the right track. Social Security benefits are indeed calculated using your highest 35 years of earnings (indexed for inflation). If you stop working at 60 and don't replace any of your existing 35 highest years, then yes, your benefit amount won't increase based on additional earnings. When using the SSA calculator, you should enter what you realistically expect to earn. If you'll earn zero, put zero. If you'll work part-time, estimate those earnings. The calculator will then give you the most accurate projection based on your input. Keep in mind that even if you don't work between 60-67, your benefit still increases by approximately 8% per year from your Full Retirement Age (which you correctly identified as 67) until age 70 if you delay claiming. This is completely separate from the earnings calculation.

your not thinking about it right. SS uses your last 10 years not 35 years

I went through the exact same planning process last year. You're absolutely correct that only earnings that replace one of your lowest earning years in your top 35 will increase your benefit amount. One thing I found helpful was creating an account on SSA.gov and downloading my complete earnings record. I put it in Excel and sorted by highest to lowest earnings (adjusting older years for inflation using their index factors). This showed me exactly which years were my top 35 and what the threshold would be for part-time work to make a difference. In my case, I discovered that working part-time at about $30,000/year would actually replace some of my early career years and slightly increase my future benefit. Might be worth checking your own numbers this way!

I'm in a similar boat. Just turned 62 and I've been trying to figure all this out too. The whole system is SO confusing! I find the SSA website calculator gives me different numbers every time I use it. 🤦‍♀️ Anyone else have this problem?

LISTEN UP - the SSA calculators are ALWAYS wrong!!! I retired early at 59 and when I finally claimed at 66, my actual benefit was over $400 LESS per month than what their stupid calculator predicted. They don't tell you about all the deductions and adjustments they make. And don't get me started on Medicare - total ripoff with all the supplemental plans you HAVE to buy or you're basically uninsured. The whole system is designed to confuse seniors!!

One additional point that might be helpful - even if you stop working at 60, your past earnings are indexed for inflation when calculating your benefit. So while you won't have new earnings added to your record, the value of your existing earnings will still be adjusted upward over time to account for wage growth in the economy. This is why even if you input zero for future earnings on the SSA calculator, you might still see your projected benefit amount increase slightly over time. It's not just the delayed retirement credits (the 8% per year I mentioned earlier), but also this wage indexing factor that affects your Primary Insurance Amount (PIA).

my brother retired at 58 and his ss check is tiny bc he didnt work enough years. make sure u have 40 credits or u might not get anything

One other suggestion based on my experience - request a Social Security Statement by mail or print one from your online account. It gives a clearer breakdown of your estimated benefits at different ages than just using the calculator. When I was planning my retirement, I found that my benefit estimate at FRA (66+2 months for me) was about $2,850 if I continued working until then at my current salary. When I modeled stopping work at 60, it dropped to about $2,650. For me, that $200/month difference wasn't worth working an extra 6+ years at a stressful job. Everyone's numbers will be different, of course, but doing this calculation helped me make my decision.

Does anyone know if you can start Medicare at 65 even if you're not taking SS yet? I'm so confused about how all these programs work together!

This is exactly the kind of detailed retirement planning I wish I had done earlier! You're asking all the right questions. Just to add one more perspective - have you considered the psychological aspect of retiring early? I stopped working full-time at 62 and found that having those extra years before claiming Social Security gave me time to explore part-time work that I actually enjoyed, rather than staying in a high-stress job just for the slightly higher benefit. Sometimes the mental health benefits of early retirement are worth more than the extra dollars. Also, since you mentioned feeling overwhelmed by Medicare planning - don't forget that you'll need to think about health insurance coverage for the gap years between 60-65 before Medicare kicks in. COBRA, ACA marketplace plans, or spousal coverage might be options worth researching alongside your Social Security planning. Good luck with your decision! It sounds like you're being very thoughtful about all the moving pieces.

I went through a similar analysis when I was planning my early retirement a few years ago. One thing that really helped me was using the SSA's detailed benefit calculator along with their annual earnings statement to model different scenarios. You're absolutely correct that SS uses your highest 35 years of earnings. What I discovered was that even modest part-time work could sometimes bump out some of my lower earning years from the 1980s and early 90s. But the key is knowing what those lowest years actually are. Here's what I'd recommend: Download your complete earnings history from SSA.gov, then use their online calculator to test a few scenarios - zero earnings from 60-67, modest part-time earnings, etc. The difference between scenarios might be smaller than you think, which could make the early retirement decision easier. Also, don't forget that delaying benefits past your FRA gives you those delayed retirement credits (8% per year until age 70), which can significantly boost your monthly benefit even if your earnings record doesn't change. Sometimes that mathematical certainty is more valuable than the uncertainty of continued high earnings. The peace of mind and reduced stress from leaving work early might be worth far more than a slightly higher benefit amount. You sound like you're being very thoughtful about this - trust your analysis!

This has been an absolutely fantastic discussion that covers so many aspects I hadn't considered! As someone new to retirement planning, I'm grateful for all the detailed insights everyone has shared. One thing I'd like to add that might help others - if you're feeling overwhelmed by all the variables (like the original poster mentioned), consider breaking it down into phases. First, get your actual earnings record from SSA.gov and understand your baseline. Then model 2-3 realistic scenarios rather than trying to optimize every possible variation. I've been lurking on this community for a while, and what strikes me most about threads like this is how much the "soft factors" matter alongside the numbers. The stress relief, health benefits, time with family, and ability to pursue meaningful work or volunteering seem to be just as important as maximizing every dollar of Social Security benefits. For anyone still working through these decisions: it sounds like the key is getting comfortable with "good enough" rather than perfect optimization. The delayed retirement credits provide a solid foundation of guaranteed growth, and the flexibility to adjust your approach (like picking up part-time work if needed) means you're not locked into one path forever. Thanks to everyone who shared their real experiences - this kind of practical wisdom is invaluable for those of us planning our own transitions!