The Social Security checks serve as the primary source of income for many retired American citizens. That’s exactly why understanding how to stretch every dollar from your Social Security check matters now more than ever. As of February 2025, the Social Security checks benefits amounted to an average of $1,981 per month. However, with the right techniques, one can maximize these benefits for a better life.
For starters, it is important to work for at least 35 years before signing up for the checks. While one can apply for the checks even with a career spanning less than 35 years, it ultimately results in lesser average indexed monthly earnings (AIME) and thus, reduced benefits.
AIME refers to one’s average monthly income, indexed for inflation, over their 35 highest-earning years. Therefore, people who are able to work more than 35 years before signing up for these checks often get more benefits as a lot of people earn higher in the later parts of their lives than the amount with which they had started their careers.
Another point to keep in mind before applying for Social Security checks is to be aware of one’s full retirement age (FRA). While the FRA varies by birth years, 67 seems to be the FRA for most people presently. One is of course eligible to sign up for Social Security checks before 67 years as well as the earliest age one can apply is 62 years.
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However, signing up earlier significantly reduces the benefits that come along with the these checks. Therefore, one should have proper knowledge of FRA before applying for the checks. Also, people who have little personal savings and are not certain of their life expectancy should not delay in applying for the checks as for them, applying early would bring forth the benefits that they need.
Since one’s Social Security benefits are based largely on the amount one earns during their career, trying to earn more as a working professional remains one of the key elements to increase one’s Social Security benefits. Therefore, people who want to make sure that they get the maximum benefit from these checks, should ensure that they are earning to their full potential, which might include taking up a side hustle or some other ways to earn more than one job.
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However, people who are already earning more than the Social Security taxable wage base will not be able to take advantage of this technique of earning as much as possible to increase their Social Security benefits.
The wage base stands at $176,100 in 2025 and since any income over this amount is not eligible for Social Security payroll tax, it won’t help one to increase their benefits.
