3 Costly Social Security Mistakes People Make Long Before Claiming Benefits

You can't start claiming Social Security until you're at least 62, but if you wait until then to begin thinking about your benefits, you may have already cost yourself a lot of money. Your income today helps determine how much you get from the program later, so the right time to begin thinking about your Social Security benefits is now. Use that as an added incentive to pursue promotions, work overtime, or seek out higher-paying job opportunities elsewhere if you'd like to maximize your lifetime Social Security benefit.