How would you describe your health and family longevity?

Significant health concerns or family history of dying in 60s or early 70s; Average — typical health, mixed family history; Excellent — I'm healthy and my parents/grandparents lived into their late 80s or 90s

How much do you need Social Security income to cover your essential expenses?

I need it to pay basic bills — rent, food, utilities; Helpful but I could get by without it for a while; I don't need it at all — I have other income covering everything

What's your marital and earnings situation?

Married, and I'm the lower earner — my spouse's record will eventually drive our household benefit; Single (never married, divorced under 10 years, or widowed); Married, and I'm the higher earner — my benefit becomes my spouse's survivor check

Are you still working, or planning to work past 62?

Already retired, or stopping work very soon; Retiring sometime in my early-to-mid 60s; Plan to work into my late 60s or beyond

Do you have a pension or other guaranteed retirement income beyond Social Security?

No — just my own savings and investments; Yes, but it's small relative to my expenses; Yes — a meaningful pension, annuity, or other lifelong income

Could your savings comfortably bridge from retirement until age 70 without Social Security?

No — I'll need Social Security within a year or two of stopping work; Tight but possible to 67, probably not all the way to 70; Yes — I have enough to wait until 70 if I want to

How worried are you about outliving your savings?

Not a real concern — my assets and investments are plenty; Possible if I live to 95+, but probably manageable; Real concern — longevity risk is one of my biggest worries

How concerned are you about Social Security benefit cuts in the future?

Very worried — I want to lock in my benefit before any cuts happen; Mildly concerned — I'll factor it in but not panic; Not worried — Congress will fix the trust fund before benefits actually get cut

Should I Take Social Security at 62, 67, or 70?

Answer a few honest questions about your situation, and our Decision Guide will tell you whether to claim at 62, your full retirement age, or 70.

Published April 25, 2026

Questions in this guide:

How would you describe your health and family longevity?
- Significant health concerns or family history of dying in 60s or early 70s
- Average — typical health, mixed family history
- Excellent — I'm healthy and my parents/grandparents lived into their late 80s or 90s
How much do you need Social Security income to cover your essential expenses?
- I need it to pay basic bills — rent, food, utilities
- Helpful but I could get by without it for a while
- I don't need it at all — I have other income covering everything
What's your marital and earnings situation?
- Married, and I'm the lower earner — my spouse's record will eventually drive our household benefit
- Single (never married, divorced under 10 years, or widowed)
- Married, and I'm the higher earner — my benefit becomes my spouse's survivor check
Are you still working, or planning to work past 62?
- Already retired, or stopping work very soon
- Retiring sometime in my early-to-mid 60s
- Plan to work into my late 60s or beyond
Do you have a pension or other guaranteed retirement income beyond Social Security?
- No — just my own savings and investments
- Yes, but it's small relative to my expenses
- Yes — a meaningful pension, annuity, or other lifelong income
Could your savings comfortably bridge from retirement until age 70 without Social Security?
- No — I'll need Social Security within a year or two of stopping work
- Tight but possible to 67, probably not all the way to 70
- Yes — I have enough to wait until 70 if I want to
How worried are you about outliving your savings?
- Not a real concern — my assets and investments are plenty
- Possible if I live to 95+, but probably manageable
- Real concern — longevity risk is one of my biggest worries
How concerned are you about Social Security benefit cuts in the future?
- Very worried — I want to lock in my benefit before any cuts happen
- Mildly concerned — I'll factor it in but not panic
- Not worried — Congress will fix the trust fund before benefits actually get cut

For most people in average or better health, claiming Social Security at 70 produces the most lifetime income — every year you delay past full retirement age (67 for anyone born in 1960 or later) adds 8% to your monthly check, capping at 124% of the full benefit at 70. Claim at 62 only if you have real health concerns, you genuinely need the income to pay bills, or you're the lower earner in a marriage where your higher-earning spouse is delaying. Married higher-earners almost always benefit from waiting because the surviving spouse inherits the larger check — delayed retirement credits effectively buy lifetime longevity insurance for your widow or widower. The break-even age between claiming at 62 versus 70 lands around 80–81, and average life expectancy at 62 is already 81–84, so the math favors patience for most. The 62-to-70 window is also the sweet spot for Roth conversions: with no Social Security yet boosting your provisional income, you can convert pre-tax money at low tax rates.

Sources

Should You Take Social Security at 62, 67 or 70? — NerdWallet
What Is the Break-Even Age for Social Security? — AARP
How Your Social Security Check Changes at Ages 62, 65, 66, 67 and 70 — Kiplinger
Social Security at 62 — Fidelity
Is 62 the Right Age to Claim Social Security? Here's What the Data Says. — The Motley Fool

Should I Take Social Security at 62, 67, or 70?

Sources

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