Dear Larry,
There are a lot of friends of mine who waited to collect social security by looking at their benefit metrics chart to see when they should begin collecting. What they do is go to the social security office the month they think they should begin collecting social security benefits according to the money posted on the metrics chart for that month. When they get their first check they find out that they've been pushed back several months. Consequently, they get a lower benefit check than what they thought. Social security compensates for the months my friends lost and give my friends a smaller monthly benefit amount. How can I avoid this happening to me? I don't want to get caught in the trap of them lowering my monthly benefit amount.
Sincerely,
Nancy

Hi Nancy,

You simply need to specify which month that you want to begin drawing benefits on your application. If you don't, Social Security will assume that you would prefer to receive any retroactive benefits to which you could be entitled.

If you file online, you will be asked to choose the month that you would like to begin drawing your benefits. If you file by phone or in person, you will need to tell the claims representative that you speak with what month that you want to begin drawing benefits. You should also be sure to review your copy of the application to make sure that the correct month of entitlement is shown on your application.

Before you file, you may want to consider using the maximization software available on this website in order to make sure that you are choosing the best possible filing strategy.

Best, Jerry