Social Security Math: How To Determine Your Benefit Amount
Written by
Georgina Tzanetos
Edited by
Ashleigh Ray
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Most people who receive Social Security benefits get their checks every month and don’t really think about it much after. We are all more or less versed in the knowledge that our Social Security amount is somehow tied to what we paid in over the years.
But how exactly is it calculated?
Social Security benefits are based on your lifetime earnings, but not all of them. The IRS states that your actual earnings are adjusted or “indexed” to account for changes in average wages since the year the earnings were received. Additionally, Social Security also takes your 35 highest-earning years to calculate your average indexed monthly earnings.
A formula is then applied to this 35-year high-earning period to arrive at your basic benefit or “primary insurance amount,” giving you the sum you will receive in each check at your full retirement age.
To get a better idea of how much you will receive, you also can check out the IRS Social Security Calculator here.
Important to note: You can begin to receive your Social Security benefits early at age 62, but the benefit will be reduced. This means if you use the calculator to estimate an amount you could receive today, if you take your benefit at 62, the actual amount will be lower. Further, your basic benefit will be reduced by a certain percentage if you decide to retire before reaching the full retirement age of 65.
Also important: You become eligible for cost-of-living benefit increases starting with the year you become 62, even if you do not start to take benefits until your full retirement age or even at age 70. This adjustment, or COLA, is adjusted every year for inflation and the increased costs of living as the years progress.
If you have any questions or are still unsure about your benefits and if you are receiving the correct amount, it is important to call Social Security at 1-800-772-1213 (for the deaf or hard of hearing, call the TTY number, 1-800-325-0778). A Social Security representative can get on the line with you and answer any questions or concerns you may have.
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