I’ve written in the past about what an incredible benefit Social Security is for retirees. In a previous article, I didn’t pull any punches in calling social security “America’s most important retirement plan.”
There are a lot of reasons why. First, basic eligibility is easy to achieve for most Americans able to work. Second, it’s an income stream guaranteed by the US government. Third, it pays a benefit to spouses who haven’t worked or who have worked too little to earn their own benefit. Fourth, it increases with the cost of living over time.
While most of us are aware of the benefits of Social Security, I find that fewer people know how to get the most income from it. Here are four primary ways to get the most from your Social Security benefit.