Overview
- Federal payment tables for 2026 now reflect a 2.8% cost-of-living adjustment and updated limits, including a reported $184,500 taxable-earnings cap.
- January retirement benefits will be paid on Wednesdays—Jan. 14, Jan. 21, and Jan. 28—based on beneficiaries’ birth-date ranges.
- Outlets cite different maximum monthly benefits for a 70-year-old with maximum taxable earnings, with reports showing $5,181 versus $5,108.
- Reaching any published maximum generally requires 35 years of earnings, hitting the taxable cap in those years, and delaying benefits until age 70.
- Claiming age strongly affects payouts—earlier claims reduce checks and delaying increases them—with studies favoring waiting for many, while advisers urge personalized analysis and steps like boosting taxed earnings and reviewing SSA records.