Many retired people end up living on Social Security alone. For some, that’s not intentional. It’s a matter of not having the means to save in a meaningful way. For others, though, it may boil down to misconceptions.
One of the biggest Social Security myths you’ll hear is that those monthly benefits are enough to replace your preretirement paycheck in full. In reality, they probably won’t come close. And once you see what the average retirement benefit looks like today, you’ll understand why it’s so important to save for retirement if you can.
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What the average Social Security check looks like today
Social Security pays different types of benefits. But the average retirement benefit today is about $2,076.41.
If you do the math, you’ll see that amounts to about $25,000 a year. And you’ll also see that the typical Social Security benefit isn’t a lot of money to live on.
Of course, there are steps you can take to set yourself up with larger Social Security benefits in retirement. For one thing, the more you earn (up to a certain point), the more money Social Security might pay you. So growing your skills to snag higher wages can help.
You should also know that your Social Security benefits are calculated based on your 35 most profitable years of earnings. So if you pledge to work for at least 35 years, that’s another way to potentially get more money for your retirement.
Finally, you’re eligible for your Social Security benefits without a reduction at full retirement age, which is 67 if you were born in or after 1960. But for each year you delay your claim, until age 70, your benefits get a permanent 8% boost.
Don’t plan to retire on Social Security alone — even if your benefit is larger than the average
You may end up getting a lot more than $2,076.41 from Social Security once you’re able to claim benefits. But that doesn’t mean retiring on Social Security alone is a good idea.
For one thing, people who are eligible for larger benefits tend to be higher earners. So retiring on just Social Security could mean having to scale back your lifestyle in a very big way. And even if you’re willing to do that, you could end up putting yourself at risk of financial struggles if you don’t have income outside of those benefits.
This isn’t to say that you need a $2.5 million nest egg to retire comfortably. But aim for some savings. Modest monthly contributions to an IRA or 401(k) could go a long way over time. And they could end up being a nice supplement to whatever monthly Social Security check you’re eventually in line for.