About this episode
Regina Hess discusses the critical decision of when to claim Social Security benefits and its impact on retirement income.
Regina breaks down one of the biggest retirement decisions people make too quickly: when to claim Social Security. In this episode, she walks through how benefits are calculated, why filing early can permanently reduce your income, and how waiting can add meaningful dollars to your retirement plan. It's a practical, no-nonsense episode for anyone who wants to make a smarter Social Security decision instead of just grabbing benefits at 62. Episode Highlights: 0:00 - Intro 0:32 - Why Social Security timing matters more than people think 2:07 - How Social Security benefits are calculated 3:34 - Cost-of-living adjustments and inflation 4:39 - The age you can claim vs. the age you should claim 6:07 - What claiming at 62 really costs you 7:20 - Real dollar examples: 62 vs. 67 10:15 - Why waiting until 70 can increase your benefit 11:28 - Smart claiming strategies for spouses 13:16 - How survivor benefits work 14:41 - 2026 Social Security numbers and max benefits 18:04 - Working while collecting Social Security 20:23 - Regina's takeaway: build a strategy, don't guess ABOUT REGINA MCCANN HESS Regina is the author of Super Woman Wealth: How to Become Your Own Financial Hero. As an…
People in this episode
Host: Regina Hess
Topics covered
- Social Security
- retirement planning
- financial strategy
- benefit calculation
- claiming strategies
Keywords
- Social Security
- retirement
- claiming benefits
- financial planning
- income strategy
Mentioned in this episode
Books & works: Super Woman Wealth: How to Become Your Own Financial Hero
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