If you're looking for a lower - key, less - costly retirement, taking your benefits early — and receiving
smaller Social Security payments — might make sense.
Not exact matches
Social Security payments are relatively
small and might not even cover the basics, let alone emergency expenses.
If you claim
Social Security early, you will receive that income for more years, but with a
smaller monthly
payment.
Since it drives increases in salaries, deductions,
Social Security and pension
payments, there is very heavy pressure to keep the number
smaller than it really is.
Deciding to collect
Social Security benefits early, or before your FRA [1], means that you are choosing to collect a
smaller benefit
payment each month.
Accordingly, if you are receiving
Social Security payments and are over 65, you are almost certainly enrolled in Medicare Part A. Also, employees that work for
smaller employers (fewer than 20 employees) will have Medicare as their primary insurance at age 65.
The
Social Security death benefit is relatively easy for surviving family members to claim and quick to be aid, but it is currently a
small lump sum
payment of $ 255 (assuming the deceased person had enough
Social Security work credits).