Will working after Full Retirement Age affect my Social Security benefits at 69?

You're good to go! Since you're past your Full Retirement Age (FRA), there's no earnings limit that would reduce your Social Security benefits. The only impact your employment income will have is potentially making part of your SS benefits taxable, as you mentioned. Plus, continuing to work might actually INCREASE your benefit amount if your current earnings are higher than what was used in your original benefit calculation. The SSA automatically recalculates your benefit each year if you continue working.

congrats on waiting til 69! smart move. i filed at 62 and regret it everyday lol

The others are right that there's no penalty for working while collecting once you're past FRA. BUT be aware that if your combined income (adjusted gross income + nontaxable interest + half of SS benefits) exceeds $34,000 filing single or $44,000 filing jointly, up to 85% of your benefits will be subject to federal income tax. Some states tax SS benefits too. It can be a nasty surprise on your tax return if you're not prepared.

Working past FRA actually has a potential BENEFIT that nobody mentioned yet. If you're earning more now than you did in some of your previous 35 highest earning years (which are used to calculate your benefit), the SSA will automatically replace lower-earning years with your higher-earning years. This can bump up your benefit amount slightly. But remember, you're already getting delayed retirement credits for waiting until 69 - that's a 24% increase above your FRA amount!

Try claimyr.com if you need to talk to someone at SSA about this before filing. Saved me 3 hours of hold time when I was trying to figure out a similar issue with continuing to work after starting benefits. They have a great video that shows how it works: https://youtu.be/Z-BRbJw3puU

Since you're planning to file in February 2026, just be aware that your first payment would come in March 2026 (SS pays a month behind). Also, if you were born on the 1st through the 10th of your birth month, you'll receive payment on the second Wednesday; 11th-20th paid on third Wednesday; and 21st-31st paid on fourth Wednesday. Your application can be submitted up to 4 months before you want benefits to begin.

my brother kept working after taking ss and didnt get penalized but his taxes went WAYYYYY up be careful especially if ur making good $$$

One quick tip since you're filing at 69: make sure you check if you're eligible for Medicare Part B without a late enrollment penalty. If you've been covered by employer insurance, you should be fine, but if not, you might face penalties for not enrolling at 65. You get an 8-month Special Enrollment Period after employer coverage ends to sign up without penalties.

Based on all the responses, here's a summary for you: 1) No earnings limit after FRA so no benefit reduction, 2) Possible benefit increase if your current earnings replace lower years, 3) Tax implications depending on total income, 4) Check your Medicare enrollment situation. Anything else I missed, folks?