Are You Beating the Average Social Security Benefit?

No matter how much you have saved for retirement, you probably still want an above-average Social Security benefit. Larger monthly checks mean you can stretch your savings out longer or enjoy a higher standard of living.

The average Social Security check currently sits at an all-time high, but there's still plenty of room for improvement. All you need is a basic understanding of the factors that influence your benefits.

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The average Social Security retirement benefit has cracked $2,000 per month

The estimated average Social Security benefit for January 2026 is $2,071, up from $2,015 before the 2.8% cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) took effect. This means the average senior will take home almost $25,000 in benefits this year.

That's a decent sum of money, but it's not enough for most retirees to live on. Supplementing your Social Security benefits with personal savings can help. But there are also some steps you can take to increase your future checks.

3 ways to boost your future Social Security benefit

Here are three strategies you can use to increase the Social Security benefit you're eligible for.

1. Work at least 35 years before applying for Social Security

The Social Security Administration looks at your income over your 35 highest-earning years when calculating your benefit. If you have a shorter work history, it'll include zero-income years, which can significantly reduce your checks.

Working longer than 35 years could also boost your checks if you're earning more now than you did in the past. Your more recent, higher-earning years will slowly push your earlier, lower-earning years out of your benefit calculation.

2. Increase your income today

Anything you can do to increase your income today -- working overtime, finding a better-paying job, or starting a side hustle -- will likely lead to larger Social Security checks.

The only people this won't work for are those who are already earning more than the taxable wage base ($184,500 in 2026). These people are already paying the maximum Social Security tax, so earning more won't affect their future checks.

3. Time your Social Security application correctly

Generally speaking, those with short life expectancies and those who have no other means of paying their bills are usually better off applying for Social Security early, even if it means settling for a smaller lifetime benefit. If neither of those descriptions fits you, you might want to delay your application.

Every month you wait to sign up for Social Security increases your checks until you reach age 70. But you don't have to wait that long. Even a few months' delay can yield greater benefits for the rest of your life.

It's worth trying at least one of these strategies if you want the largest Social Security checks you can get. But you should also note that your benefits will increase a little each year, thanks to COLAs, so you won't be locked in at your initial benefit amount forever.

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