Can I work while collecting Social Security after my full retirement age?

Yes — once you reach full retirement age, the earnings test no longer applies, so you can earn unlimited income with no reduction to your Social Security check. Before FRA, working can trigger temporary withholding, but after FRA you keep every dollar of benefit regardless of salary. Two caveats: your wages may still be subject to Social Security and Medicare payroll taxes, and additional income could make more of your benefits taxable through the provisional-income rules, and could raise your Medicare premiums via IRMAA. On the plus side, continued earnings can replace a lower-earning year in your top-35 calculation and slightly increase your benefit going forward. Many people use the post-FRA window to work part-time without penalty. To see how added income affects your overall tax picture, try wealthserene.com/tools/tax-strategies.