Claiming Social Security without a strategy could reduce your lifetime benefits, making careful planning essential.
The age you claim benefits, tax exposure, and earnings limits can all shape how much Social Security income you ultimately keep. Mehaniq/Shutterstock
After spending your entire adult life working and paying into the Social Security system via payroll taxes, you may be ready to start collecting your share.
And it’s a major milestone. Social Security benefits support more than 73 million Americans.
