The average Social Security payment in the U.S. hovers around $2,000, although the amount you’ll receive depends largely on your work history and how much you’ve earned in benefits, according to the Social Security Administration (SSA) benefit formula.<\/p>\n
If $2,000 a month doesn’t quite cut it for you, there are steps you can take to raise your benefits. If you’re still working, maximizing your benefits involves one of the three most common approaches.<\/p>\n
Where to invest $1,000 right now?<\/strong> Our analyst team just revealed what they believe are the 10 best stocks<\/strong> to buy right now, when you join Stock Advisor.\u00a0See the stocks \u00bb<\/strong><\/span><\/em><\/p>\n The SSA uses your earnings history to figure out your benefit amount at full retirement age (FRA). FRA is important because that’s the point at which you receive 100% of the benefits you’ve earned. While anyone who has been employed for at least 10 years is eligible for Social Security retirement benefits, working longer can maximize those benefits.<\/p>\n The SSA bases your benefits on the 35 years in which you earned the most income. Next to each of those 35 years, there’s a space for how much you earned that year. If you work for fewer than 35 years, there’s a zero next to each year between 10 and 35 that you didn’t work.<\/p>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>