什么时候应该参加社保?

Filing for Social 安全 benefits as soon as you can  — or shortly thereafter —  a few years early may seem like a good idea at first.  The money is there, for the taking, and it is likely a substantial addition to your monthly budget.  但 be careful: When you decide to file for your benefits is one of the most critical financial decisions of your life. 这就是为什么理解这一点很重要, 通常, 你等得越久, the more money you will likely receive – hundreds of thousands more over your lifetime if you’re able to hold off until age 70.

A little history: Established in 1935, Social 安全 was set up to help the U.S. 从大萧条中复苏. The program acted as a 政府ernment insurance system to assist the elderly, 残疾人和退伍军人的生活费. 今天，所有的美国人.S. workers pay into the Social 安全 system through payroll taxes. 你会付出代价的.收入的2%，不超过160美元,200美元(2023年)投入社会保障, 这个数字你的雇主必须匹配. Those who are self-employed are responsible for paying the full 12.每年4%. Here’s a primer on Social 安全 benefits and the most important things to consider before you file:

等待有好处

Social 安全, on average, covers about 40% of an individual’s 生活费用 in retirement, according to the Social 安全 Administration. 所以如果你打算一个人靠你的特别安全保障金过活, you may find that very difficult — if not impossible — to do, 汤姆·玛格诺说, a former chief spokesman for the Social 安全 Administration. In other words, Social 安全 was never meant to be a retiree’s sole source of support.

尽管事实上“法定退休年龄“流行, 取决于你是什么时候出生的, 年龄在66岁到67岁之间, for every year you delay taking benefits between age 62 and age 70, 你每月的福利会增加8%. Social 安全 uses your highest 35 years of earnings to calculate what you are paid. 另外, 你想要尽可能多的高收入年份, 而且它们通常会在你的职业生涯后期出现.  So, the question you have to ask is: Is it worth it to claim early if you are going to lock in permanently reduced income for your entire retirement? The decision to claim early is often regretted by those in their 80s and 90s. Check your Social 安全 statement to see your personal  work history and estimated benefit amounts. (使用 SSA.政府 作为你的资源.)

弥补职业空白

Other than waiting, what can you do to maximize your Social 安全 take? 考虑多工作一会儿.  Many people move in and out of the paid workforce during their careers to raise children or care for loved ones. While Social 安全 uses your highest 35 years of salaries, those years do not have to be consecutive years to count.  That means that adding another year or two of credits to your record at the end of your career can help tremendously.

Something else to consider: You can collect Social 安全 and work at the same time. 不过，要注意所谓的“收益限制”. If you’re under full retirement age and are collecting Social 安全, 你挣的钱超过21美元,240 (in 2023) will be subject to this test — and your Social 安全 will be reduced by $1 for every $2 you earn.  但, 一旦你到了法定退休年龄, the money will be returned to you in the form of a higher monthly benefit. 

重来的挑战

What happens if you begin claiming Social 安全 benefits and then decide you made a mistake? (That happened to many folks who retired during the pandemic, 几年后，他决定重新退休.有两种方法可以撤销提前提出的索赔. 一个选择是“重来”.” It must be done within the first 12 months of receiving benefits. You ask Social 安全 to stop payments and you must pay back 100% of the money you’ve received. 晚些时候, 一般在完全退休年龄或更晚, you file for benefits as if you never made the early claim.

The other option 是 suspend your reduced benefit payments when you reach your full retirement age. The idea here is that you put your payments on hold for an additional one to three years. The lower payment amount will be increased up to 8% per year up until age 70. 然后, you restart payments at age 70 at a significantly higher monthly payment than you were receiving when you claimed early.

社会保障制度还能维持多久?

社会保障是现收现付的模式, which means the money you are paying in now is being used for current beneficiaries, 而不是为你保存. The program is projected to run through its $3 trillion trust fund by 2034.

This doesn’t mean that nothing will be left for the next generation, but it does mean that if the 政府ernment doesn’t take action — which experts believe it will — Social 安全 may not be running at full steam. Millennials may only receive about 75% of their benefits once they reach retirement age unless the 政府ernment decides to raise the payroll tax, raise the earnings ceiling or change the benefits formula. The best plan 是 ensure that you aren’t relying solely on Social 安全. That means you should start investing in more reliable retirement and savings accounts now.