Hi Larry,
My full retirement age is 66 and 2 months. I will be turning 66 in May. When should I start applying for my retirement social security? Barb

Hi Barb,

Social Security allows people to apply for benefits up to 4 months prior to the month that they want to claim the benefits. So, if you want to start your benefits effective with the month you reach full retirement age (FRA) you could file an application as early as March. Of course, if you want to start drawing sooner than FRA you can apply earlier.

It's important to understand that your Social Security retirement benefit rate would continue to increase for each month that you delay claiming your benefits up until the month you reach age 70. The sooner that you start drawing your benefits prior to age 70, the lower your monthly rate will be.

The best strategy for claiming your benefits depends a number of factors such as your health, earnings, and your marital status. You may want to strongly consider using our software (https://maximizemysocialsecurity.com/purchase) to fully analyze the options available to you in order to determine your best strategy for maximizing your benefits.

Best, Jerry