ways to boost social security checks: 4 little-known Social Security rules that could earn you thousands more
Here are four rules of thumb that can benefit you up to thousands of dollars more over your lifetime if you know how to use them, according to The Motley Fool:
1. How does your income shape your earnings?
The Social Security Administration calculates your benefits based on your average indexed monthly earnings (AIME), your average inflation-adjusted income over your 35 highest-earning years, according to The Motley Fool. This figure determines how much you will receive when you request benefits.
If you haven’t worked in 35 years, the SSA fills in the missing years with zeros, lowering your average and therefore your earnings. Working longer can replace those low-earning years and boost your checks, especially if you’re earning more now than you did earlier in your career.
But there is a limit. Earnings above the taxable wage base of $176,100 in 2025 will not increase your earnings, no matter how much more you earn.
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2. Why is the timing of your request important?
When you claim your Social Security benefits, it has a big impact on how much you receive each month. According to the report, if you were born in 1960 or later, your full retirement age (FRA) is 67. Filing before that, before age 62, will permanently reduce your benefit. Those starting at 62 get 30% less if they wait until their FRA, according to The Motley Fool. On the other hand, delaying your claim beyond your FRA increases your monthly payments. For each month you wait, your benefit increases by two-thirds of 1%, up to an additional 8% each year until age 70. This means waiting until age 70 could make your checks 24% more expensive than claiming them at 67.
For those who expect to live longer or can afford to wait, delaying benefits could lead to them earning significantly more money over their lifetime.
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3. How can an earnings test temporarily reduce your checks?
If you decide to work while collecting Social Security before you reach your FRA, the earnings test may affect your payments. If you’re under your FRA all year, you’ll lose $1 for every $2 you earn on $23,400 in 2025. If you will reach your FRA in 2025, you will lose $1 for every $3 you earn above $62,160; But according to The Motley Fool, only income you earn before your birthday counts.
The good news is that this money won’t be gone forever. Once you reach your FRA, the government recalculates your benefit to repay the amount previously withheld.
4. How can your spouse’s benefits increase your household income?
If you are married, you may be eligible to receive spousal benefits of up to half of your spouse’s full retirement benefit. For example, if your spouse’s benefits are $2,000 at full retirement age, you may receive $1,000.
According to The Motley Fool, you will only receive the higher of your own retirement benefit or your spouse’s benefit, not both, and your spouse must already have started collecting benefits.
According to the report, divorced people can also benefit from ex-spouse assistance if they have been married for at least 10 years, have been divorced for at least two years and have not remarried. You can still take advantage of this even if your ex hasn’t started packing his or hers.
You can claim your spouse’s benefits early, but doing so reduces those benefits by up to 35%. Unlike regular retirement benefits, spousal benefits don’t increase past your full retirement age, so there’s no reason to delay claiming them after that point, according to The Motley Fool.
FAQ
How does the government calculate my Social Security benefits?
Your benefits are based on your average indexed monthly earnings (AIME), your inflation-adjusted income over your highest-earning 35 years.
Can making more money increase my Social Security checks?
Yes, but only up to a point. Income above the taxable wage base ($176,100 in 2025) does not increase your allowance.
