Social Security

When to claim, how benefits are calculated, spousal and survivor rules, and how earnings affect your benefit.

6 articles in this topic.

Last updated: 2026-08-17.

• How Inflation Adjustments (COLA) Work

  The annual COLA comes from a CPI-W formula written in 1972. How it is computed, the third-quarter window, and why it understates retiree inflation.

• WEP and GPO Repeal: What Changed in 2026

  The Social Security Fairness Act repealed the Windfall Elimination Provision and Government Pension Offset back to January 2024. Who gains, and how much.

• Taxation of Social Security Benefits

  Up to 85% of Social Security becomes taxable once provisional income passes $25,000 or $32,000. The two-tier mechanism, and how to stay under the line.

• Working While Collecting: The Earnings Test

  Claim before full retirement age and you lose $1 for every $2 earned above $24,480 in 2026. The mechanic, the year-of-FRA rule, and why it comes back.

• Spousal and Survivor Benefits, Explained

  Spousal benefits pay up to 50% of the worker's PIA and survivor benefits pay 100%. When each starts, the divorced-spouse claim, and how they interact.

• When to Claim Social Security: Age 62, 67, or 70

  Claiming at 62 cuts your benefit 30%; waiting until 70 raises it 24%. The break-even math, the survivor benefit, and why 62 is rarely the answer.