Social Security Optimizer
Breakeven ages and lifetime benefits at each claiming age, with spousal, divorced-spousal, tax and Medicare IRMAA effects.
Your benefits
Your current age
5070
Your benefit at age 62$/mo
$500/mo$4,000/mo+
Your benefit at Full Retirement Age (67)$/mo
$500/mo$4,000/mo+
Your benefit at age 70$/mo
$500/mo$5,000/mo+
Life expectancy yrs
70 yrs100 yrs
COLA assumption%
0%5%
Household
- Optimal claiming age at your expected longevity
- Age 62
- Lifetime benefits
- $698,739
Lifetime benefits by claiming age
| Claiming age | Monthly benefit | Lifetime total |
|---|---|---|
| Claim at 62 Best | $1,800/mo | $698,739 |
| Claim at 67 | $2,400/mo | $689,645 |
| Claim at 70 | $2,976/mo | $692,107 |
Breakeven ages
- Age 62 vs 67: waiting pays off after
- Age 77
- Age 67 vs 70: waiting pays off after
- Age 80
Cumulative lifetime benefits by claiming age
Age 65
Age 70
Age 75
Age 80
Age 85
Claim at 62Claim at 67Claim at 70
Longevity scenarios
The best claiming age depends on how long you live. Each column shows the winning claim age and lifetime total at that life expectancy.
Conservative
- Lives to
- 80
- Best claim age
- Age 62
- Lifetime total
- $482,752
Moderate
- Lives to
- 85
- Best claim age
- Age 70
- Lifetime total
- $692,107
Optimistic
- Lives to
- 90
- Best claim age
- Age 70
- Lifetime total
- $970,769
The optimal claim age changes with longevity. Claiming early can win if you don't expect a long life; delaying pays off the longer you live. Weigh your own health and family history.
Taxation of benefits and the Medicare IRMAA surcharge at your MAGI.
Estimates only. Verify with SSA.gov.Benefit factors, tax brackets, and 2025 Medicare IRMAA tiers are simplified. Since the 2015 budget law, “file-and-suspend” and restricted-application spousal strategies were largely eliminated for people born after Jan 1, 1954, so assume you cannot claim a spousal benefit while letting your own grow. Taxation of benefits adds to ordinary income; it is not a flat tax. Consult SSA and a tax professional. Everything is computed in your browser.
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How this is calculated
We total the lifetime benefits you’d collect claiming at 62, full retirement age, and 70, then find the break-even ages and the highest-total choice.
The steps
- For each claim age, sum the monthly benefit × 12, grown by a cost-of-living adjustment, from that age to your life expectancy.
- Find the break-even age where waiting overtakes claiming earlier.
- For couples, compare own vs. spousal (½ of the higher earner’s) and the survivor benefit.
Assumptions
- A cost-of-living adjustment (~2.5%); the benefit amounts you enter.
Good to know
- Doesn’t model taxation of benefits or earnings-test reductions while working.
Related resources
Educational disclaimer. Everything on WealthSerene.com is educational and is not investment advice. Projections and calculations are illustrative; actual results depend on market conditions, your situation and factors outside this tool’s scope. For a decision specific to your situation, consult a qualified financial professional. For tax advice, consult a CPA or Enrolled Agent. View full disclosures
Get your personalized Social Security estimate at ssa.gov/myaccount. This tool uses the inputs you provide; it does not connect to SSA data.