The Consequences of Claiming Social Security Benefits at Age 62

As individuals approach their 60s, they face the important decision about when to start claiming Social Security retirement benefits. “The Consequences of Claiming Social Security Benefits at Age 62” by Philip Armour and David Knapp of the RAND Corporation asks what financial consequences the decision to collect early might have for the individual over time. A companion report, “The Changing Picture of Who Claims Social Security Early,” examines the characteristics of those who decide to start collecting at the early eligibility age (EEA) of 62 compared with those who wait. Importantly, that study suggests that employment losses resulting from the COVID-19 recession may lead to earlier claiming—in particular among those with less education and those living in more rural areas. As the current study shows, this could have significant implications for the financial security of a whole cohort of retirees in the coming decades given the penalties associated with early claiming.