Will my Social Security benefit at 70 be accurate if I stop working at 68? SS.gov projections confusing me

The projection on SS.gov DOES assume you'll continue working at roughly the same salary until you claim. However, at your age, it won't make a huge difference. After 35 years of work, each $0 year only replaces one high-earning year in your calculation. The delayed retirement credits from waiting until 70 are guaranteed regardless of whether you work or not - that's 8% per year from your Full Retirement Age (probably 66+4mo for you?). If you want an exact calculation, log into your my Social Security account and use the calculator where you can manually enter future earnings (including $0 for ages 68-70). That will give you a more accurate number.

I retired at 66 but waited till 70 to claim SS too. Listen, the numbers on SS.gov were pretty close for me even with no work the last 4 years. Maybe $120 less than what they estimated. Your 35 highest earning years are what counts and most likely those 2 years of no work wont be part of your highest anyway.

Same thing happened to my brother last year!!!!! He stopped working at 67 and waited till 69 to apply and the amount SSA gave him was almost EXACTLY what the estimate said!!!! They know what they're doing even if the reps sound confused.

I just went through this exact situation and spent HOURS trying to get a straight answer. Called SSA three times and got three different answers. Their online estimates were WAY off for me because my last 5 years were my highest earning years, and when I stopped working at 67, it dropped my monthly benefit by $340 from what the website estimated. If you've had steady income for 35+ years though, two years of zeros probably won't matter much. But don't just trust the website estimate!

The Social Security benefit calculation is based on your 35 highest-earning years, adjusted for inflation. At your age, having two $0 years will only affect your benefit if those years would have been among your 35 highest. If you've worked more than 35 years, the system will drop your lowest-earning years. If your recent earnings are higher than your earliest working years (adjusted for inflation), then yes, adding $0 years could slightly reduce your benefit from what's projected. However, the delayed retirement credits of 8% per year from FRA to 70 will still apply regardless of whether you're working. Those are guaranteed. If you want an exact calculation, you can: 1. Use the detailed calculator on SSA.gov where you can enter $0 for future years 2. Request a detailed benefit calculation directly from SSA 3. Download your earnings history and perform the calculation yourself For someone in your situation, the difference is typically modest unless your recent earnings are substantially higher than your lifetime average.

I think most responders are overlooking something important - if your earnings in the last few years are significantly higher than your earlier years, then yes, those zeros WILL impact your benefit. The quick estimate on SS.gov assumes continuous earnings at your current level. If your early career earnings (inflation-adjusted) are lower than recent years, replacing potential high-earning years with zeros will lower your AIME (Average Indexed Monthly Earnings), which directly impacts your PIA (Primary Insurance Amount). The 8% per year delayed retirement credits still apply to whatever your PIA is at FRA, but the underlying PIA could be lower than projected if you stop working. I'd recommend downloading your complete earnings history and speaking with a financial advisor who specializes in Social Security planning. The difference could be significant depending on your specific earnings history.

cant u just go to ss office and ask? thats what i did and they printed out exactly what id get. online stuff is confusing af

After reading all the comments, I think you should: 1. Download your complete earnings history from SS.gov 2. Identify your 35 highest-earning years after indexing for inflation 3. See if zero earnings at ages 68-69 would replace any of those 35 years 4. Use the detailed calculator on SS.gov that allows you to input future earnings as zero For most people with 40+ year work histories, two years of zeros won't significantly impact benefits. But it does depend on your specific earnings pattern. The delayed retirement credits (8% per year after FRA until 70) apply regardless of whether you're working. The SSA representative was likely correct that your benefit will be close to what's projected, but it's always best to verify with the detailed calculator.