Waiting to claim Social Security benefits until age 70 would maximize your retirement income and secure a stronger financial future. But for many retirees, it's not an option.

Though average Social Security payouts are meaningfully increasing in the new year, most beneficiaries remain worse for the wear.

Congress must have heard women complaining that having to be married to some philandering jerk for 20 years to get some of his Social Security was too long. So this year, they lowered the length of ...

The third and final wave of Social Security payments for the month of December is coming this week. Here's what recipients ...

Millions of public workers received a notice this year and saw something unexpected. The Social Security Administration (SSA) ...

The widow's penalty can reduce your Social Security income after a spouse dies. Learn how this works, why it happens, and ...

Jordyn joined Investopedia in February 2025. She was previously a freelance writer covering lifestyle, entertainment, politics in the Midwest, and more. Frederic J. Brown / AFP via Getty Images Social ...

I continually remind my readers that they shouldn't worry too much when they read or hear reports of Social Security's ...

I continually remind my readers that they shouldn't worry too much when they read or hear reports of Social Security's ...

When a spouse dies, the emotional shock often collides with an immediate financial question: what happens to the Social Security income that helped pay the bills. Survivor rules are technical, but ...