What Age Can You Draw Social Security and Still Work Full Time?

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If you’re planning for retirement in light of an impending recession and a bear stock market, your plans may have changed slightly. Especially if your retirement is coming up soon, you may not have as much money from the interest and dividends you were hoping for.

You may even be thinking about continuing to work full time to bolster your retirement savings for later years, so you can ultimately relax with the retirement lifestyle you really want.

Plus, with the tight labor market and increasing salaries, if you remain in the same employment position, you could actually increase your Social Security earnings by continuing to work. That’s because Social Security uses your 35 highest-earning years to determine your benefits once you reach full retirement age.

You can draw Social Security benefits at any age, beginning at age 62. Once you reach full retirement age, which varies based on the year you were born, you can work and earn your full benefit amount.

If you begin claiming Social Security before your full retirement age and also continue working, some of your benefit payments may be withheld if you earn over a certain amount. But it doesn’t mean you are losing those benefits. You’ll receive a higher monthly benefit to make up for it once you reach full retirement age, according to the SSA.gov publication, “When to Start Receiving Retirement Benefits 2022.”

Are You Retirement Ready?

The answer to the question, “What age can you draw Social Security and still work full time?” is simple. You can start drawing Social Security at age 62.

However, by waiting to claim your benefits, and even continuing to work, you may be able to increase your total retirement benefit.

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