3 Steps to Take to Collect the Max Social Security Check in Retirement

It’s tough to beat the peace of mind that regular monthly Social Security checks can offer. As long as you’ve fulfilled the work requirements or are married to someone who has, you can count on your benefits to cover a chunk of your retirement expenses.

How far they go depends on your lifestyle and the decisions you make, both during your career and when you apply for Social Security. If you understand how these factors affect your benefit, you can take steps to increase your checks. You may even qualify for the program’s biggest benefit if you can pull off the three things listed below.

1. Work at least 35 years before retiring

The Social Security Administration only considers your 35 highest-earning years, adjusted for inflation, when calculating your Social Security benefit. You may still qualify for checks, even if you have a shorter work history. However, you’ll have zero-income years factored into your benefit calculation. Even one of these can drop your monthly checks by several dollars.

Remaining in the workforce for at least 35 years is key to avoiding this. Working longer could increase your benefit if you’re earning more today than you did in years past. Your more recent, higher-earning years will start to push your earlier, lower-earning years out of your benefit calculation, resulting in larger Social Security checks.

2. Earn as much as you can throughout your career

This might sound like a no-brainer, but the more you pay in Social Security taxes throughout your career, the larger your Social Security checks will be later on. To qualify for the $5,108 maximum benefit in 2025, which will rise to $5,251 in 2026, you must have made the maximum taxable earnings in all 35 of your highest-earning years.

That means earning at least $176,100 in 2025 and will rise to $184,500 in 2026. The maximum taxable earnings was lower in past years but still represented a significant challenge. This is the barrier that stops most people from claiming Social Security’s biggest checks.

If you’re lucky enough to earn more than the limits listed above, your extra earnings won’t help grow your checks because you won’t be paying Social Security taxes on them. If you’re like most people, and earning close to $200,000 per year feels out of reach, it’s OK. Do your best to increase your income as much as you can, whether by negotiating a raise or starting a side hustle. Every extra dollar will help grow your future benefit checks.

3. Wait until age 70 to apply for Social Security

Your Social Security benefit also depends on your age when you sign up. You must wait until your full retirement age (FRA) to get the full benefit you’ve earned, based on your work history. Your FRA depends on your birth year, but for most people, it’s 67.

You can claim earlier than this, but every month in which you receive a check before you’ve reached your FRA will show a reduced benefit. Those with an FRA of 67 will get 30% less if they apply right away at age 62 (the earliest age you can apply for Social Security). This is typically a permanent reduction. That said, this could still be the right move if you have no other means to cover your expenses or have a short life expectancy.

If neither of those things apply, you might be better off delaying benefits until your FRA or even until 70, the age at which you’ll qualify for your largest possible checks. It may also give you your biggest lifetime benefit, though this depends on the age which you die.

For most people, claiming Social Security’s biggest checks isn’t feasible. But you can still leverage the tips above to grow your checks as much as possible. Keep these strategies in mind as you move forward throughout your career, and make sure you understand how your claiming age will affect your checks before you apply.