The Facts About Early Retirment And Social Security

You can work while you receive Social Security retirement benefits. When you do, it could mean a higher benefit for you in the future. Remember higher benefits can be important to you later in life and increase the future benefit amounts your family and your survivors could receive. While you are working, your earnings will reduce your benefit amount only until you reach your full retirement age.

The Social Security Administration uses a formula to determine how much your benefit must be reduced:

If you are under full retirement age for the entire year, we deduct $1 from your benefit payments for every $2 you earn above the annual limit.

For 2007 that limit is $12,960.

In the year you reach full retirement age, we deduct $1 in benefits for every $3 you earn above a different limit, but we only count earnings before the month you reach your full retirement age.

If you will attain full retirement age in 2007, the limit on your earnings for the months before full retirement age is $34,440. If you were born in 1942, your full retirement age is 65 years and 10 months.

Starting with the month you reach full retirement age, you can get your benefits with no limit on your earnings.

If you are not already receiving benefits, be sure to contact the Social Security Administration at the beginning of the year you reach full retirement age. Even if you are still working, you may be able to receive some or all of your benefits for the months before you reach full retirement age.