Just curious about how many seniors we have here.  Who is collecting SSA benefits and from what age? And if you qualify but waiting to collect higher benefits, put down CBW for Can But Waiting.  I started collecting from age 64.

There's so many pros and cons as to taking SS early at 62.  I took my SS at age 63 as soon as I retired.

I weighed in many factors for me personally.  Some of them were my current health condition, my family history of age of death (especially the males), and the sad fact that I couldn't effectively do my job anymore (the physical aspect).

I figured I might as well get 20 years of SS checks at a smaller amount than collect 5 years at a larger amount if I waited and then I ma-ke, lol!!

Good or bad decision ainokea.  I happy.

There are many things to consider before collecting from the SSA. Once you have an accurate idea of your monthly income and health care then you can enjoy the fruits of your years of labor.
During these hard economic times, a business maybe forced to trim benefits. No one knows what may happen down the road, but an early retirement may allow you to grandfather yourself into a better package.
I entirely retired at 62 and I have no regrets except that I miss some of my coworkers.

There are many things to consider before collecting from the SSA. Once you have an accurate idea of your monthly income and health care then you can enjoy the fruits of your years of labor.
During these hard economic times, a business maybe forced to trim benefits. No one knows what may happen down the road, but an early retirement may allow you to grandfather yourself into a better package.
I entirely retired at 62 and I have no regrets except that I miss some of my coworkers.

I'm Can But Waiting(CBW) on Social Security. 
I'm supposed to file for Medicare next week but
I have a seven month window.
I retired at age 55, I have a VERY humble pension
but was/am debt free, own my acreage and homes,
and am pretty self sufficient, but not totally "Off Grid"
just yet.  I really don't miss my co-workers, but I keep in
touch with some of them.

The main reason I won't start my SS till age 66
is my wife's medical insurance costs due to Obama
care. I have to wait till she is on Medicare to
start my SS or lose the subsidy for her 400%
increased insurance premiums due to Obamacare.
So you definitely have to factor in medical
for the SS decision.
Obamacare really screwed the pooch for
us all.

Had it not been for Obamacare, I would have started
SS at age 62.
I know how to make a spread sheet.
the difference between starting SS at 62 and 66
is insignificant assuming you live to be 86.
Which is average for my age group,
gender male.

Started collecting in 2016, full benefit. Also collect military retirement Since 1988 as an E8 W/disability (Vietnam) and Civil service (CSRS) 25 years. Love retirement! 

Started at 62 after I pulled the plug once Øbowel shut down NASA.   Not another dime to the feds, as close to zero as I could.

Yeah, would have been worth more/month to wait, but I was sick of the engineering rat race and political circus jerking the project strings.  Lucky to have a last emplyer that matched 401k dollars, so really packed it away for a few years.

F 'em, had it with the funding political games.  Hope they had fun trying to find gen-X talent to replace me.

I forgot to mention:
To avoid any penalties, sign up for medicare as soon as you are eligible. Signing up 3 months past your 65th B/day could incur substantial monthly penalties.
The penalties will be deducted from your SSA monthly payment. If you are collecting from the SSA prior to turning 65, you are usually automatically enrolled into medicare.   
 

I started at 62 one month after I turned 62. I decided to get out and retire as soon as I had the chance. I couldn’t retire without taking SS so my only other choice was to keep working. Even tho I had planned to take SS at 62 for at least the last 15 years, I always had the option to continue working and wait to build up how much I collect. The last company I was working for would have been very happy if I had. What made me decide to make the leap at 62 finally was first and foremost my wife’s health. She is steadily but slowly going down hill and needs to go to the doctor 2-4 times a week now. And working full time and her being disabled made it difficult for me to take her so often. BTW, she is doing what it takes to slow down the effects of her condition. And she is doing a good job so far. It will take a while to find out if she can be treated and get better or not. After her health came my health. I already had a heart attack and stent placed in my “Widow Maker” artery in 2016. I already had surgery on my knees, my back problems are getting worse, I have another surgery that needs to happen soon. Working longer would not have benefitted my non Social Security financial situation since my non SS retirement plans were set to be completed in 2020 and actually were completed in 2018. I worked in the construction industry and visited multiple sites every day. Some of those sites did not practice safety to the extent I would have liked them to. There were a few where I refused to go to after a while. But as I got older my balance and my ability to climb up or down and traverse uneven surfaces started to become harder and personally more dangerous. The last part of my decision is that if nothing is done to fix SS then people who are not currently on SS will possibly have their pensions delayed for a period before they can start and those who already collect will have their pension amount reduced in 2023 if my memory serves me correctly. So we need to have our politicians fix SS or we will all lose.

Inspector, I sorry to hear about you and your wife's health problems, but I guess that comes with aging.  I know my balance and strength is not as good as it was even 3 years ago.
IIRC, SSA payments may have to be reduced by 2032, not 2023.  By that time I will either be dead or have my finances in order to survive the reduction, which is currently projected to be 15%.

Inspector, I sorry to hear about you and your wife's health problems, but I guess that comes with aging.  I know my balance and strength is not as good as it was even 3 years ago.
IIRC, SSA payments may have to be reduced by 2032, not 2023.  By that time I will either be dead or have my finances in order to survive the reduction, which is currently projected to be 15%.

Thanks! For my wife it is due to her not taking good care of herself earlier in her life. She is suffering the consequences of that now. For me it is mostly old age and working around bad stuff like asbestos and chemicals known to cause cancer before we had regulations to protect the workers. Of course 20 years of hard partying with drugs, alcohol and cigarettes didn’t help things either.

Thanks for correcting me as I couldn’t remember the exact year that benefits will be reduced. Figures I transposed the 2 numbers. Been doing that a lot lately.

Thanks! For my wife it is due to her not taking good care of herself earlier in her life. She is suffering the consequences of that now. For me it is mostly old age and working around bad stuff like asbestos and chemicals known to cause cancer before we had regulations to protect the workers. Of course 20 years of hard partying with drugs, alcohol and cigarettes didn’t help things either.

Thanks for correcting me as I couldn’t remember the exact year that benefits will be reduced. Figures I transposed the 2 numbers. Been doing that a lot lately.

Best wishes to you and your wife, sir.  I think we all to some extent abuse our bodies in our younger years. Making the decision to reverse poor health is never too late to do and I wish you and your wife well.

It's very hard for those of us who worked in construction to retire at age 66 or whatever it is to get full SS benefits.  Some are fortunate enough to work to that age but for me and everyone I know in construction, looking at early retirement is very real.  The body just gets busted up.

I have no regrets retiring at 63.

Best wishes to you and your wife, sir.  I think we all to some extent abuse our bodies in our younger years. Making the decision to reverse poor health is never too late to do and I wish you and your wife well.

It's very hard for those of us who worked in construction to retire at age 66 or whatever it is to get full SS benefits.  Some are fortunate enough to work to that age but for me and everyone I know in construction, looking at early retirement is very real.  The body just gets busted up.

I have no regrets retiring at 63.

Thanks! I’m relatively healthy. My wife is the one I am concentrating on helping at the moment. Once we find out the extent of her issues we will be able to better deal with them.

I have too many friends in construction that did one of two things. They either kept working when they should have retired and then later got hurt on the job and then had to retire when they were not ready. And retired with an injury or tried to go back to work after an injury only to find the contractor did not want them back. Or they retired (From government job) and went to work in the private sector and then died before they could enjoy their retirement. Sad. They should have retired when they had the chance. The additional money you will get from SS by waiting or working another 10 years for a second pension is not worth the wait IMHO. The younger you are when you start your retirement the more time you’ll have to enjoy and appreciate your retirement.There is another scenario that a couple of my friends have accomplished. Both retired around 62 or 3 and take on an occasional side job. Then one takes the money he makes and goes to Vegas and blows it all while the other one buys weed and hookers. Whatever floats your boat I guess? I buy guns and bullets. I guess thats the same as weed and hookers? 

Thanks! I’m relatively healthy. My wife is the one I am concentrating on helping at the moment. Once we find out the extent of her issues we will be able to better deal with them.

I have too many friends in construction that did one of two things. They either kept working when they should have retired and then later got hurt on the job and then had to retire when they were not ready. And retired with an injury or tried to go back to work after an injury only to find the contractor did not want them back. Or they retired (From government job) and went to work in the private sector and then died before they could enjoy their retirement. Sad. They should have retired when they had the chance. The additional money you will get from SS by waiting or working another 10 years for a second pension is not worth the wait IMHO. The younger you are when you start your retirement the more time you’ll have to enjoy and appreciate your retirement.There is another scenario that a couple of my friends have accomplished. Both retired around 62 or 3 and take on an occasional side job. Then one takes the money he makes and goes to Vegas and blows it all while the other one buys weed and hookers. Whatever floats your boat I guess? I buy guns and bullets. I guess thats the same as weed and hookers? 

"The younger you are when you start your retirement the more time you’ll have to enjoy and appreciate your retirement"
It is truth,
I'm an engineer, but also worked at 14,000 ft for ten years.
Stress and physics took a toll.
When you think it is time to quit
and retire, do it.
As an aside I'm also a wood worker,
boats, houses, and shops, I can't use a hammer
more than a few hits without my hand
going numb.

As an aside I'm also a wood worker,
boats, houses, and shops, I can't use a hammer
more than a few hits without my hand
going numb.

Az why sum smat guys wen go make dakine air kine hamma.  Mo easiya fo use, even one po bugga lik me wen go buy 4 kine.  Framer, finish 16 and 18 ga, plus one stapula.

Az why sum smat guys wen go make dakine air kine hamma.  Mo easiya fo use, even one po bugga lik me wen go buy 4 kine.  Framer, finish 16 and 18 ga, plus one stapula.

I understand every thing you typed.,
I do use air compressors and nail guns.
I even have a TECO nailer.
I just wanted to make a point,
after many years I agree it catches up
with you.
Go stay go?

groveler, you one smat bugga.

"The younger you are when you start your retirement the more time you’ll have to enjoy and appreciate your retirement"
It is truth,
I'm an engineer, but also worked at 14,000 ft for ten years.
Stress and physics took a toll.
When you think it is time to quit
and retire, do it.
As an aside I'm also a wood worker,
boats, houses, and shops, I can't use a hammer
more than a few hits without my hand
going numb.

While working in the laboratory during the 70’s and into the 80’s I used Trichloroethylene as a solvent to remove the oil from asphalt for testing purposes. It is a nasty chemical. Here is the Wikipedia entry for it: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trichloroethylene It is definitely a human carcinogen and cancer causing chemical. I did not use it in a properly vented area. During the 70’s all the way into the early 90’s I was exposed to asbestos. A lot. I probably won’t know for another 20 years if I will get mesothelioma from the exposures. My father worked for Johns Manville (A manufacturer of asbestos) when he was very young and died of Mesothelioma in his early 90’s. Myself and my 2 brothers shared a $50k settlement that my father applied for when he found out what he had. We had no idea and were contacted by the lawyers several years after he died. During my time as an inspector I have been knocked out cold twice on the job by unsafe practices by the contractor. And I have fallen several times causing nerve damage in my right arm and shoulder as well as cartilage damage in the same shoulder. Most of my falls, not all, were caused again by unsafe practices by the contractors. I suffer daily with the pain, numbness, and lack of strength and control I have due to this injury. It effects my shooting as well as how long I can shoot for. I used to have multiple 2 hour shooting sessions every week. Now I can barely shoot for an hour a couple times a week before the pain becomes too much. All of this is on top of all the other aforementioned physical problems with my knees and back. And I have not started yet on the arthritis in my thumbs and back which sometimes prevents me from even being able to reload. All of the repercussions from my injuries did not come to light until the last 4 or 5 years. So I can’t go back to things that happened 40 years ago. Mesothelioma won’t occur for at least another 20 years, maybe 30. If it does.

While working in the laboratory during the 70’s and into the 80’s I used Trichloroethylene as a solvent to remove the oil from asphalt for testing purposes. It is a nasty chemical. Here is the Wikipedia entry for it: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trichloroethylene It is definitely a human carcinogen and cancer causing chemical. I did not use it in a properly vented area. During the 70’s all the way into the early 90’s I was exposed to asbestos. A lot. I probably won’t know for another 20 years if I will get mesothelioma from the exposures. My father worked for Johns Manville (A manufacturer of asbestos) when he was very young and died of Mesothelioma in his early 90’s. Myself and my 2 brothers shared a $50k settlement that my father applied for when he found out what he had. We had no idea and were contacted by the lawyers several years after he died. During my time as an inspector I have been knocked out cold twice on the job by unsafe practices by the contractor. And I have fallen several times causing nerve damage in my right arm and shoulder as well as cartilage damage in the same shoulder. Most of my falls, not all, were caused again by unsafe practices by the contractors. I suffer daily with the pain, numbness, and lack of strength and control I have due to this injury. It effects my shooting as well as how long I can shoot for. I used to have multiple 2 hour shooting sessions every week. Now I can barely shoot for an hour a couple times a week before the pain becomes too much. All of this is on top of all the other aforementioned physical problems with my knees and back. And I have not started yet on the arthritis in my thumbs and back which sometimes prevents me from even being able to reload. All of the repercussions from my injuries did not come to light until the last 4 or 5 years. So I can’t go back to things that happened 40 years ago. Mesothelioma won’t occur for at least another 20 years, maybe 30. If it does.

Sounds like you are pretty Buss up.
It pisses my VA doctor off but I live on Aspirin.
and am also disabled(Vietnam era) Vet.
Those injuries still hurt.
Shooting for two hours?
WOW!
I can take down Rock Chucks at 400 meters.
with my cousins Ruger M77, but I don't blast away.
for two hours.
This post was for old farts.
if your gut can handle it
Aspirin is your best bet for joint pain.
Aim small, hit small.

Sounds like you are pretty Buss up.
It pisses my VA doctor off but I live on Aspirin.
and am also disabled(Vietnam era) Vet.
Those injuries still hurt.
Shooting for two hours?
WOW!
I can take down Rock Chucks at 400 meters.
with my cousins Ruger M77, but I don't blast away.
for two hours.
This post was for old farts.
if your gut can handle it
Aspirin is your best bet for joint pain.
Aim small, hit small.

Yeah, my doctor doesn’t like me taking Ibuprofen as much as I do. I might try this new thing called relief factor. You supposed to be able to take it without the consequences of Aspirin and Ibuprofen.

Too much ibuprofen causes constipation.