3 Costly Social Security Mistakes People Make Long Before Claiming Benefits
You can't start claiming Social Security until you're at least 62, but if you wait until then to begin thinking about your benefits, you may have already cost yourself a lot of money. Your income today helps determine how much you get from the program later, so the right time to begin thinking about your Social Security benefits is now. Avoid these three common, yet expensive mistakes if you want to get the most money possible in retirement.
The Social Security Administration looks at your average monthly income during your 35 highest-earning years, adjusted for inflation, when calculating your benefit. So anything you can do today to increase your income will also raise your Social Security checks in the future. Use that as an added incentive to pursue promotions, work overtime, or seek out higher-paying job opportunities elsewhere if you'd like to maximize your lifetime Social Security benefit.
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Source Fool.com
