Reasons Your Monthly Social Security Checks May Surprise You

3 Reasons Your Social Security Checks May Be Larger Than Expected

Sometimes, happy financial surprises can happen. You'll often hear that it's best not to retire on Social Security alone, because you might struggle to pay the bills with just those monthly benefits. And if you got an estimate of your monthly Social Security benefit a while back, you may be worried about paying your senior expenses solely on that income.

You delayed your claim past full retirement age

• If you didn't sign up at full retirement age (FRA), but rather, waited, your benefits could have increased due to an 8% boost for each year of delay.

You took on a side hustle during the tail end of your career

• Wages from gigs and part-time jobs also count towards calculating your benefits, potentially leading to larger Social Security checks.

You worked a few extra years for a more robust earnings history

• Extending your work history to 35 years of high earnings can positively impact your monthly benefits.

Being surprised with a larger monthly Social Security benefit is a good thing. But an even better thing is to read up on ways you can boost that benefit before your career comes to an end. That way, you can set yourself up with more income and reduce your chances of struggling financially once you're ready to exit the workforce for good.