Social Security retirement benefits.

In plain English

Social Security retirement benefits are monthly checks the federal government pays you in retirement, funded by the Social Security taxes you and your employers paid while you worked. The amount is based on your 35 highest-earning years, adjusted for wage growth, and on the age at which you start claiming. You generally need 40 work credits (about 10 years of work) to qualify. The benefit is meant to replace part of your pre-retirement income, not all of it, so most people pair it with savings or a pension.

01Why it matters

For many retirees this is the single largest and most reliable source of income, and it lasts for life and adjusts for inflation, so the choices you make about it shape your whole retirement budget.

02The math, step by step

Suppose your work record produces a full benefit of $2,000 a month at your full retirement age. That figure is illustrative only. If you start early at 62 you would receive a permanently smaller check, and if you wait past full retirement age your check grows. The exact dollar amount depends on your own earnings history, which you can see in your Social Security statement at ssa.gov.

03What this is NOT

04Receipts

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