| Claiming Age | % of FRA Benefit | If FRA = $2,500 | If FRA = $3,000 | Your Estimate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 62 | 70% | $1,750 | $2,100 | |
| 63 | 75% | $1,875 | $2,250 | |
| 64 | 80% | $2,000 | $2,400 | |
| 65 | 86.7% | $2,167 | $2,600 | |
| 66 | 93.3% | $2,333 | $2,800 | |
| 67 (FRA) | 100% | $2,500 | $3,000 | |
| 68 | 108% | $2,700 | $3,240 | |
| 69 | 116% | $2,900 | $3,480 | |
| 70 | 124% | $3,100 | $3,720 |
Your surviving spouse inherits the higher of the two benefits. If you claim at 62, your spouse gets your reduced amount for the rest of their life. If you claim at 70, they get your maximum amount.
If you delay from 62 to 70, you give up 8 years of smaller checks to get larger checks forever after. The break-even point is approximately age 82.
Average life expectancy for a 65-year-old male: 84 | Average life expectancy for a 65-year-old female: 87
If you have any guaranteed income floor — military retired pay, a civilian pension, VA disability, or some combination — you may not need Social Security at 62. That lets you afford to wait. Every year you delay past FRA adds 8% to your benefit for life. If you don't have a pension floor, claiming timing matters even more — the eight-percent-per-year delay credit is the largest guaranteed raise in retirement.