• Education
    • Higher Education
    • Scholarships & Grants
    • Online Learning
    • School Reforms
    • Research & Innovation
  • Lifestyle
    • Travel
    • Food & Drink
    • Fashion & Beauty
    • Home & Living
    • Relationships & Family
  • Technology & Startups
    • Software & Apps
    • Startup Success Stories
    • Startups & Innovations
    • Tech Regulations
    • Venture Capital
    • Artificial Intelligence
    • Cybersecurity
    • Emerging Technologies
    • Gadgets & Devices
    • Industry Analysis
  • About us
  • Contact
  • Advertise with Us
  • Privacy & Policy
Today Headline
  • Home
  • World News
    • Us & Canada
    • Europe
    • Asia
    • Africa
    • Middle East
  • Politics
    • Elections
    • Political Parties
    • Government Policies
    • International Relations
    • Legislative News
  • Business & Finance
    • Market Trends
    • Stock Market
    • Entrepreneurship
    • Corporate News
    • Economic Policies
  • Science & Environment
    • Space Exploration
    • Climate Change
    • Wildlife & Conservation
    • Environmental Policies
    • Medical Research
  • Health
    • Public Health
    • Mental Health
    • Medical Breakthroughs
    • Fitness & Nutrition
    • Pandemic Updates
  • Sports
    • Football
    • Basketball
    • Tennis
    • Olympics
    • Motorsport
  • Entertainment
    • Movies
    • Music
    • TV & Streaming
    • Celebrity News
    • Awards & Festivals
  • Crime & Justice
    • Court Cases
    • Cybercrime
    • Policing
    • Criminal Investigations
    • Legal Reforms
No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • World News
    • Us & Canada
    • Europe
    • Asia
    • Africa
    • Middle East
  • Politics
    • Elections
    • Political Parties
    • Government Policies
    • International Relations
    • Legislative News
  • Business & Finance
    • Market Trends
    • Stock Market
    • Entrepreneurship
    • Corporate News
    • Economic Policies
  • Science & Environment
    • Space Exploration
    • Climate Change
    • Wildlife & Conservation
    • Environmental Policies
    • Medical Research
  • Health
    • Public Health
    • Mental Health
    • Medical Breakthroughs
    • Fitness & Nutrition
    • Pandemic Updates
  • Sports
    • Football
    • Basketball
    • Tennis
    • Olympics
    • Motorsport
  • Entertainment
    • Movies
    • Music
    • TV & Streaming
    • Celebrity News
    • Awards & Festivals
  • Crime & Justice
    • Court Cases
    • Cybercrime
    • Policing
    • Criminal Investigations
    • Legal Reforms
No Result
View All Result
Today Headline
No Result
View All Result
Home Business & Finance

Social Security’s Max Benefit Is Climbing in 2025, But You Still Need to Check the Same 3 Boxes to Get It todayheadline

December 30, 2024
in Business & Finance
Reading Time: 3 mins read
A A
0
Person studying chessboard.
3
SHARES
7
VIEWS
Share on FacebookShare on Twitter


Social Security’s maximum benefit will reach a record $5,108 per month in 2025. This is the first time any retiree will take home more than $5,000 per month from the program. But only a select few will receive anything close to this amount.

Achieving the maximum Social Security benefit in any year requires you to meet three key criteria. It sounds simple, but pulling it off only grows harder each year. If you’re a worker or a recent retiree who wants to know whether the largest checks are a possibility for you, here’s what you need to do.

Image source: Getty Images.

1. Work at least 35 years

The first thing you must do to qualify for the maximum Social Security benefit is to work for at least 35 years before retiring. This is important because the government bases your benefit on your average monthly earnings during your 35 highest-earning years, adjusted for inflation. The result is your average indexed monthly earnings (AIME).

You can still qualify for Social Security with as few as 10 years of work history, but you definitely want to aim for 35 if you can. Those who fall short of the 35-year mark have zero-income years included in their benefit calculation. Even one of these drops your AIME significantly.

For example, if you earned $60,000, adjusted for inflation, every year for 35 years, your AIME would be about $2,311 per month based on the 2025 Social Security benefit formula. But if you only had 34 years of work history, you’d get $2,265 per month — $46 less. That would cost you more than $11,000 over 20 years.

2. Pay the max amount of Social Security taxes in all 35 years

The largest Social Security checks go to those who paid the most in Social Security taxes throughout their careers. If you want the maximum benefit, you must earn the maximum income subject to Social Security taxes in each of your 35 highest-earning years.

In 2025, that means you must make at least $176,100. But in prior years, that limit was lower. In 2024, for example, you only needed to earn $168,600. In future years, the ceiling on income subject to Social Security taxes will likely rise due to inflation.

Most people don’t earn enough, which is why the average Social Security benefit for 2025 is only around $1,976 per month for retired workers. Still, anything you can do today to increase your income — working overtime, seeking out a better-paying job, or starting a side hustle — can lead to more Social Security benefits in retirement.

3. Delay your application until 70

You are eligible to apply for Social Security retirement benefits as early as 62, but there’s a penalty for claiming before your full retirement age (FRA). That’s between 66 and 67, depending on your birth year. Specifically, you lose 5/9 of 1% per month for up to 36 months of early claiming. Those who start even earlier lose another 5/12 of 1% per month.

You may also delay Social Security past your FRA, and your checks will grow by 2/3 of 1% per month until you reach 70. That’s when you qualify for your maximum benefit. You must do this if you hope to take home Social Security’s largest checks.

However, waiting until 70 isn’t the right choice for everyone. Those with health issues may not live long enough to make delaying benefits worthwhile. And retirees with limited personal savings may need to apply early so they can use their checks to cover their bills. Still, delaying is an option worth considering if you can manage it. It results in larger lifetime benefits for most workers.

Though the max Social Security benefit isn’t achievable for most of us, the principles discussed above are still useful when it comes to maximizing your own checks. Keep them in mind so you don’t miss out on opportunities to boost your benefits.

Tags: benefitBoxescheckClimbingMaxSecuritysSocialtodayheadline
Previous Post

In a Groundbreaking Agreement, VEON and Starlink to Bring Starlink Direct-to-Cell Satellite Connectivity to Kyivstar Customers By Investing.com todayheadline

Next Post

Kuwait signs contracts to modernise power, water distillation plants

Related Posts

The Digital Dispatch: Elon Musk (and Tesla) have a TikTok problem

Tesla faces big threat from rivals in key market todayheadline

May 9, 2025
5

Law Debenture issues 50,000 new shares under block listing todayheadline

May 9, 2025
3
Next Post
Kuwait signs contracts worth KD238m to modernise power, water distillation plants

Kuwait signs contracts to modernise power, water distillation plants

  • Trending
  • Comments
  • Latest
Family calls for change after B.C. nurse dies by suicide after attacks on the job

Family calls for change after B.C. nurse dies by suicide after attacks on the job

April 2, 2025
Pioneering 3D printing project shares successes

Product reduces TPH levels to non-hazardous status

November 27, 2024

Hospital Mergers Fail to Deliver Better Care or Lower Costs, Study Finds todayheadline

December 31, 2024

Police ID man who died after Corso Italia fight

December 23, 2024
Harris tells supporters 'never give up' and urges peaceful transfer of power

Harris tells supporters ‘never give up’ and urges peaceful transfer of power

0
Des Moines Man Accused Of Shooting Ex-Girlfriend's Mother

Des Moines Man Accused Of Shooting Ex-Girlfriend’s Mother

0

Trump ‘looks forward’ to White House meeting with Biden

0
Catholic voters were critical to Donald Trump’s blowout victory: ‘Harris snubbed us’

Catholic voters were critical to Donald Trump’s blowout victory: ‘Harris snubbed us’

0
Indy Grand Prix can be 'good for the heart' but doesn't predict speed for Indy 500

Indy Grand Prix can be ‘good for the heart’ but doesn’t predict speed for Indy 500

May 9, 2025
City's new goal: Pep says top four a 'success'

Pep: City players should question lack of hunger

May 9, 2025

Italian Open: Emma Raducanu crushes Jil Teichmann to reach round-of-32 todayheadline

May 9, 2025

Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone to run her 1st professional 100m race todayheadline

May 9, 2025

Recent News

Indy Grand Prix can be 'good for the heart' but doesn't predict speed for Indy 500

Indy Grand Prix can be ‘good for the heart’ but doesn’t predict speed for Indy 500

May 9, 2025
0
City's new goal: Pep says top four a 'success'

Pep: City players should question lack of hunger

May 9, 2025
0

Italian Open: Emma Raducanu crushes Jil Teichmann to reach round-of-32 todayheadline

May 9, 2025
2

Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone to run her 1st professional 100m race todayheadline

May 9, 2025
4

TodayHeadline is a dynamic news website dedicated to delivering up-to-date and comprehensive news coverage from around the globe.

Follow Us

Browse by Category

  • Africa
  • Asia
  • Basketball
  • Business & Finance
  • Climate Change
  • Crime & Justice
  • Economic Policies
  • Elections
  • Entertainment
  • Entrepreneurship
  • Environmental Policies
  • Europe
  • Football
  • Gadgets & Devices
  • Health
  • Medical Research
  • Mental Health
  • Middle East
  • Motorsport
  • Olympics
  • Politics
  • Public Health
  • Relationships & Family
  • Science & Environment
  • Software & Apps
  • Space Exploration
  • Sports
  • Stock Market
  • Technology & Startups
  • Tennis
  • Travel
  • Uncategorized
  • Us & Canada
  • Wildlife & Conservation
  • World News

Recent News

Indy Grand Prix can be 'good for the heart' but doesn't predict speed for Indy 500

Indy Grand Prix can be ‘good for the heart’ but doesn’t predict speed for Indy 500

May 9, 2025
City's new goal: Pep says top four a 'success'

Pep: City players should question lack of hunger

May 9, 2025
  • Education
  • Lifestyle
  • Technology & Startups
  • About us
  • Contact
  • Advertise with Us
  • Privacy & Policy

© 2024 Todayheadline.co

Welcome Back!

OR

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password?

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In
No Result
View All Result
  • Business & Finance
  • Corporate News
  • Economic Policies
  • Entrepreneurship
  • Market Trends
  • Crime & Justice
  • Court Cases
  • Criminal Investigations
  • Cybercrime
  • Legal Reforms
  • Policing
  • Education
  • Higher Education
  • Online Learning
  • Entertainment
  • Awards & Festivals
  • Celebrity News
  • Movies
  • Music
  • Health
  • Fitness & Nutrition
  • Medical Breakthroughs
  • Mental Health
  • Pandemic Updates
  • Lifestyle
  • Fashion & Beauty
  • Food & Drink
  • Home & Living
  • Politics
  • Elections
  • Government Policies
  • International Relations
  • Legislative News
  • Political Parties
  • Africa
  • Asia
  • Europe
  • Middle East
  • Artificial Intelligence
  • Cybersecurity
  • Emerging Technologies
  • Gadgets & Devices
  • Industry Analysis
  • Basketball
  • Football
  • Motorsport
  • Olympics
  • Climate Change
  • Environmental Policies
  • Medical Research
  • Science & Environment
  • Space Exploration
  • Wildlife & Conservation
  • Sports
  • Tennis
  • Technology & Startups
  • Software & Apps
  • Startup Success Stories
  • Startups & Innovations
  • Tech Regulations
  • Venture Capital
  • Uncategorized
  • World News
  • Us & Canada
  • Public Health
  • Relationships & Family
  • Travel
  • Research & Innovation
  • Scholarships & Grants
  • School Reforms
  • Stock Market
  • TV & Streaming
  • Advertise with Us
  • Privacy & Policy
  • About us
  • Contact

© 2024 Todayheadline.co