Social Security retirement benefits aren't automatic. You can apply up to four months before you want them to start. Many, or all, of the products featured on this page are from our advertising ...

There are several important decisions to make about your Social Security benefits. You decide how many years you work and which jobs you work at. You also choose when you sign up. All these choices ...

Some people want or need to work while collecting Social Security. To understand which work rules apply to you, you must know your full retirement age. Benefits are eventually credited back, but you ...

Applying for Social Security is easier when you're prepared. Use our comprehensive checklist to gather all the necessary ...

Choose your claiming age carefully and understand how this affects the size of your benefit. It's best to apply several months in advance of when you hope to claim. Gather your documents ahead of time ...

The 2026 Social Security cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) is 2.8%. This is the increase all Social Security beneficiaries, ...

Social Security payments for the month of January follow a normal schedule. January checks will reflect a 2.8% cost-of-living ...

Many people are mentally ready to start receiving Social Security checks long before they become eligible for them at 62. But wanting checks and actually applying for them are two separate things. If ...

Get the latest on Social Security benefits, COLA updates, and policy changes — what they mean for retirees, SSI recipients ...

For those approaching retirement, there are several steps to take before applying for Social Security benefits. Pre-retirees should be familiar with the benefit options available to them and ...