I would never apply for Social Security unless I checked these 3 boxes

Applying for social security is not difficult. Just gather the appropriate documents, fill out the application form, and wait for the Social Security Administration to start sending you checks. But maximizing your benefits is a much bigger challenge.

A clear understanding of the factors influencing your checks is required. Fortunately, there aren’t too many of them to worry about. Here’s a three-step game plan to maximize your Social Security benefits.

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1. Work for at least 35 years

The government bases its Social Security benefit on the average monthly earnings, adjusted for inflation, over the 35 highest-earning years. Working longer than that can have its advantages. Most people earn more later in their career than early on. Once they turn 35, their earlier, lower-earning years drop out of the benefit calculation and are replaced by more recent, higher-earning years. This leads to greater controls.

You might think that the Social Security Administration only looks at your total earnings history if you’ve worked for less than 35 years, but that’s not entirely true. In addition to your working years, one or more zero-income years are added to your benefit calculation. This permanently reduces the size of your checks.

That’s why I plan to stay in the workforce for at least 35 years before I file for Social Security. But I admit it’s not for everyone. Some people need to retire early because of health problems or family care requirements. Others choose to take time off during their careers for other activities. If you are one of these people, don’t panic. Zero-earning years affect your benefits, but there are ways to offset this.

2. Understand how claim age affects your checks

The Social Security Administration uses your earnings history to calculate your Primary Insurance Amount (PIA). This is the benefit you are entitled to if you apply for Social Security at full retirement age (FRA). That’s 66 to 67 for today’s workers, depending on year of birth.

However, you don’t have to wait until then to apply for benefits. You can apply as early as age 62, but claiming under FRA reduces checks by up to 30%. Each month you wait to claim permanently increases your Social Security benefit until you qualify for your maximum checks at 70. These are up to 132% of your PIA.

The right age to claim depends on your life expectancy and financial situation. Those who don’t expect to live past 70 and those who would struggle to cover their bills without Social Security are often better off claiming early. But if none of these apply to you, you can get a bigger lifetime benefit by delaying Social Security until FRA or later.

Right now, I plan to wait to claim Social Security until I’m 70 because I think it will give me the most money overall. But this may not be the right decision for you.

3. Talk about it with your husband

Married couples have the best chance of maximizing their household Social Security benefits if they sit down and talk to each other about a claiming strategy. If both people have worked long enough to qualify for retirement benefits, then each will be eligible for spousal benefits on the other’s work record as well. But you can only claim spousal benefits if your partner is already getting checks. Even then, you only get a spousal benefit if it’s worth more than your own pension benefit.

For couples with similar earnings histories, it often makes sense for both to delay Social Security as long as they can, assuming their health and finances allow it. In situations where one spouse has drastically outlived the other, it is sometimes helpful for the lower earner to claim benefits as early as age 62. Their checks can provide the couple with some financial support while the eldest lags behind. Then, when the higher earner applies, the Social Security Administration will switch the lower earner to a spousal benefit if it’s worth more than what he’s already getting.

Having a claiming strategy in place can help you figure out how much you and your partner need to save for retirement. But remember, you may need to adjust over time. Your retirement calendar may change, and your Social Security may change as well. If these things occur, you will need to update your social security strategy accordingly.