Claim strategy, not guesswork.
The 62-67-70 decision. The FERS supplement interaction. Spousal and survivor benefits. The WEP and GPO rules that changed in January 2025. The full claiming framework for federal employees.
The latest additions.
The Social Security Do-Over: Withdraw, Suspend, and Restart (2026)
Claimed Social Security too early? Form SSA-521 lets you withdraw within 12 months; suspension at full retirement age earns 8% a year. Plus a boost calculator.
WEP and GPO Repealed: Restored Benefits and Back Pay (2026)
The Social Security Fairness Act repealed WEP and GPO retroactive to January 2024. What's restored, who must apply, the back-pay catch, and a GPO calculator.
Social Security for Couples: The Claiming Strategy That Protects the Survivor
Married couples claim two benefits but leave one survivor benefit. Why the higher earner delays to 70, the 62/70 split, and a coordination calculator.
The numbers that matter most
- 62 — earliest eligible claim age. 30% permanent reduction below FRA.
- 67 — Full Retirement Age for anyone born 1960 or later.
- 70 — maximum claim age. 8% annual delayed credits between FRA and 70.
- $24,480 — 2026 earnings test threshold before FRA. $1 in benefits withheld for every $2 over.
- 35 years — the highest-earning years SSA uses to compute your PIA.
Social Security articles.
Spousal & Ex-Spouse Social Security Benefits Explained (2026)
Claim up to 50% of a current or ex-spouse’s record — even after divorce — and up to 100% as a survivor. The 10-year rule, survivor timing, and an estimator.
How Is Your Social Security Benefit Calculated? The 2026 Formula
Your benefit comes from your top 35 years, the 2026 bend points, and your claiming age. The full formula, with an interactive PIA and claiming-age calculator.
When to Claim Social Security: The Federal Employee Edition
The claiming decision is different for federal employees. The FERS supplement interaction, the post-WEP-repeal CSRS landscape, and the math that actually matters when you have a federal pension as income floor.
Spousal and Survivor Social Security for Federal Employees
The post-WEP/GPO rules, the CSRS-Offset wrinkle that still applies, and the optimal claiming strategy for federal couples. With a household claiming calculator that models the eventual survivor benefit.
More articles in production
Coverage of Social Security taxation, the earnings test mechanics for federal retirees, and the divorced-spouse claiming rules is in build.
The Social Security reality checks.
Over Half of Americans Don’t Understand This Social Security Fact
The trust fund “runs out” in 2033 — but that doesn’t mean benefits stop. What the 23% projected shortfall actually means, and why the “going broke” framing misleads retirees into claiming early.
Only 21% of Americans Know Their Full Retirement Age
FRA is 67 for everyone born in 1960 or later — and not knowing it costs real money. The claiming-age multipliers, and the Claiming Age Clarity Act that just passed the House.
The Social Security Tax Surprise Catching Millions of Retirees
The thresholds that decide how much of your benefit is taxable have been frozen since 1983. The provisional-income formula, the tax torpedo, and the new OBBBA senior bonus.
89.8% of Americans Make This Social Security Mistake
An NBER study found the median claimer loses $182,370 in lifetime benefits by claiming too early. The break-even math, and when early claiming is actually right.
The Social Security Earnings Test Trap in 2026
Work while claiming early and Social Security withholds $1 for every $2 over $24,480. What counts, what doesn’t, and the parallel FERS Supplement earnings test.
From the Dispatch.
WEP/GPO Repeal: 17 Months Later, What Federal Retirees Should Know
SSA has paid $17 billion to 3.1 million recipients — five months ahead of schedule. But a retroactivity dispute is unresolved, and some federal retirees still haven’t claimed what they’re owed.
April Inflation Hit 3.9%. The 2027 COLA Just Locked In a New Trajectory.
April 2026 CPI-W came in at +3.9% year-over-year, pushing the 2027 COLA running count to 2.92%. The math has shifted for both Social Security and FERS retirees.
The full federal retirement picture
Social Security is leg three of the three-legged stool. The FERS & CSRS pillar covers your pension (leg one). The TSP pillar covers your retirement savings (leg two). The Tax Strategy pillar covers how each stream is taxed in retirement. The FEHB & Medicare pillar covers your healthcare picture.
Explore the FERS & CSRS pillar →