Financial glossary
Social Security Retirement Benefit
In plain English
A federal retirement benefit based on covered earnings and claiming age, with a permanent adjustment for early or delayed claiming.
A Social Security retirement benefit is a monthly benefit based on covered earnings and claiming age. Claiming before full retirement age reduces the amount; delaying can increase it. Your personal estimate is available through my Social Security.
Related calculators
- Social Security Claiming CalculatorCompare Social Security benefits at different claiming ages and estimate a simple break-even age. Replace assumptions with your personal SSA estimate.
- Retirement CalculatorProject your retirement savings with employer match, annual raises, and inflation. See your nest egg in today's dollars, year by year.