Claim early and you get smaller checks for longer. Wait and you get bigger checks for less time. Here is where the two cross — for every common pair of ages.
The 2026 numbers on one page.
Thresholds, IRMAA brackets, RMD ages and the senior deduction — one sheet, no login.
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What you actually get at each age
These percentages are of your full retirement age benefit, for anyone born in 1960 or later (full retirement age 67).
Claim at
62
63
64
65
66
67
68
69
70
You receive
70%
75%
80%
86.7%
93.3%
100%
108%
116%
124%
Claiming at 62 instead of 67 is a 30% permanent cut. Waiting from 67 to 70 is a 24% permanent raise. Neither reverses later.
The break-even table
The age at which the later claim overtakes the earlier one in total dollars received.
Compare
Break-even age
What it means
62 vs 65
~77.6
Live past 78 and waiting to 65 wins
62 vs 67
~78.7
Live past 79 and waiting to 67 wins
62 vs 70
~80.4
Live past 80 and waiting to 70 wins
65 vs 67
~80.0
Live past 80 and waiting to 67 wins
65 vs 70
~81.6
Live past 82 and waiting to 70 wins
66 vs 70
~82.2
Live past 82 and waiting to 70 wins
67 vs 70
~82.5
Live past 83 and waiting to 70 wins
68 vs 70
~83.5
Live past 84 and waiting to 70 wins
Calculated from the Social Security Administration's own reduction and delayed-credit
formulas — 5/9 of 1% per month for the first 36 months early, 5/12 of 1% per month beyond that,
and 2/3 of 1% per month for delaying past full retirement age. Nominal dollars, before COLA and
before any investment return on early checks.
Why the break-even table is the wrong question on its own
It answers "when do I come out ahead if I live long enough." That is one input among several, and rarely the deciding one.
It ignores taxes. Larger checks can push more of your benefit into the taxable range and move you toward an IRMAA bracket. Two people with the same break-even age can have very different after-tax answers.
It ignores the survivor. For a married couple, the higher earner's benefit becomes the survivor's benefit. Delaying is partly insurance for whoever lives longer — and that value never shows up in a break-even chart.
It ignores whether you need the money. If claiming early means leaving an IRA alone, or not taking a loan, the arithmetic changes.
It assumes you know how long you'll live. Nobody does. Break-even is a bet on longevity, and the downside of guessing wrong is asymmetric — running out of money late is worse than leaving some on the table.
The practical read: if you are married and the higher earner, the break-even age matters less than you think, because you are buying a floor for two lifetimes rather than one. See how couples' claiming works.
General education from a 501(c)(3) nonprofit. Not tax, legal or financial advice.
Figures assume a full retirement age of 67 (born 1960 or later); if you were born earlier your
full retirement age and these break-even ages differ. Confirm your own record at ssa.gov.
Retirement Literacy Foundation · 501(c)(3) · EIN 41-5062266 Free education. No products. No commissions.
Check your own number
Three inputs, instant answer, nothing gated. The email step afterwards is optional.
$0of your benefit becomes taxable income
Provisional income
$0
Which tier you land in
—
Share of benefit taxed
0%
Want the full breakdown?
We will email you a written copy showing how the math worked, what would change your tier, and the
thresholds for next year. Free, and you can keep it or forward it to whoever does your taxes.
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These numbers change every year
The IRMAA brackets, the standard deduction and the senior deduction are all adjusted annually, and the
2027 figures are published late in 2026. The Social Security taxation thresholds are the one exception
— those have not moved since 1983 and are not expected to.
We send one short email when the new numbers are announced. No campaign, no sequence — one email
when there is something worth knowing.
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Hans Goldstein
Founder & Executive Director · Retirement Literacy Foundation, a 501(c)(3) non-profit
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