The Social Security Earnings Test Retirees Get Wrong. And It Could Cost Them Thousands.
Key takeaways
- The Social Security Earnings Test Retirees Get Wrong.
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- That is her full retirement age (FRA), the point at which Social Security pays her unreduced benefit.
The Social Security Earnings Test Retirees Get Wrong. And It Could Cost Them Thousands. Gerelyn Terzo Wed, May 13, 2026 at 6:55 PM GMT+7 5 min read Quick Read Social Security uses two different earnings limits: $24,480 for workers under full retirement age, and $65,160 in the year you reach FRA, but only wages before that milestone count toward the higher limit.
Timing income around your full retirement age month can dramatically reduce or eliminate withholding: earnings in or after your FRA month face no earnings test regardless of amount, making income timing more important than annual total.
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