GOLDMARK FINANCIAL PLANNERS, LLC
Wolfgang T. Sailler
Certified Financial Planner ™
Joseph D. Witt
Certified Financial Planner ™
401(k) & TSA participants
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PO Box 5190
Salem, OR 97304-3060
Call or Write:
Office: (503) 375-0208
Home: (503) 587-9811
Fax: (503) 371-2615
wolfgang@goldmarkfp.com
josephwitt@goldmarkfp.com
June 09, 2015
According to a recent online article of the Wall Street Journal we financial planners might want to believe so. On May 19 WSJ.com wrote:
'Fewer Retirees Start Social Security at Age 62.'
For those who do not know yet, 62 is the earliest age most people can claim Social Security benefits. Doing so, however, comes at a large penalty compared to your monthly pay at full retirement age (around age 66 for baby boomers) or the maximum benefit at age 70. The loss in monthly benefits is about 8% per year you claim before full retirement age.
In the mid-'90s 56% of men and 63% of women applied for benefits at age 62. By 2013, these numbers had fallen to 36% and 40% respectively. We financial advisers have for the most part advised against taking benefits early. If we can indeed take credit for this drop is an open question but the result is for the better either way.