I am 60 years old and haven't worked in years due to my many years of incarceration and parole status. I have no young children and I want to apply for Social security, is that good or bad.

Hi,

The earliest that you can claim Social Security retirement benefits is at age 62. The only way that you could potentially collect benefits based on your own Social Security earnings history is if you are disabled and qualify for Social Security disability (SSDI) benefits.

It isn't necessarily bad to start drawing your Social Security retirement benefits at age 62, provided you recognize the fact that your monthly benefit rate will then permanently be roughly 30% lower than you would have received if you'd waited until full retirement age (FRA) to start drawing. You may want to consider using our software (https://maximizemysocialsecurity.com/purchase) to fully analyze and compare your filing options in order to determine your best strategy for maximizing benefits.

Best, Jerry