When you think of adding six figures to your retirement savings, you probably imagine needing a side hustle, investing wizardry, or an ironclad budget. But what if there’s a single, strategic move—one that doesn’t require earning more or saving harder—that could quietly grow your nest egg by $100,000 or more?
It’s not a gimmick. It’s not a loophole. It’s a smart, legal, and underutilized financial decision that comes down to one word: timing.
Most Americans don’t retire based on strategy. They retire based on feelings, job burnout, or eligibility age. But if you’re willing to time just one retirement decision differently than most people do, you could significantly increase your financial cushion and reduce the odds of outliving your money.
The Strategy: Delaying Social Security (But Not Retirement)
Here’s the move: retire when you want, but delay collecting Social Security until you are 70. That’s it.
Most Americans start collecting Social Security between 62 and 66, often as soon as they become eligible. But for every year you delay past your full retirement age (usually around 66 or 67), your monthly benefit increases by roughly 8%—until age 70.
That 8% is not tied to the market. It’s guaranteed. And over the course of your retirement, that difference compounds, often adding up to $100,000 or more in additional lifetime benefits.
You don’t need to work until 70 to get this. You can retire at 62 and live off personal savings, part-time work, or other income sources while holding off on Social Security. The trick is knowing the numbers and planning your bridge income accordingly.
Why This Works And Why Most People Miss It
The key to this strategy lies in how Social Security calculates your monthly benefit. Your base benefit is determined by your top 35 earning years and the age you claim. Claiming at 62 can reduce your benefit by as much as 30%. Delaying to 70 increases it by up to 32%. So why don’t more people do this? There are three reasons:
- Misinformation – Many believe they’ll “lose money” if they die early, or they think the system will run out of funds (a common fear but largely overblown).
- Impatience – After decades of work, waiting even a few more years feels unbearable.
- Need – Some can’t afford to delay and rely on Social Security as soon as it’s available.
But for those with even modest retirement savings or income streams to live on in the meantime, delaying Social Security can be one of the most powerful moves you make.
How the Math Adds Up to $100K
Let’s use a basic example. Say your full retirement age is 67, and your monthly benefit at that age would be $2,000. If you claim at 62, you’d only get about $1,400/month. But if you wait until 70, you’d receive about $2,480/month.
Now consider this: the average retiree lives into their mid-to-late 80s. If you live to 88, that’s 18 years of Social Security payments. Multiply the difference in benefits over those years, and you’re looking at a lifetime total that can be $100,000–$150,000 more just by waiting.
Even if you draw down savings between 62 and 70, your long-term benefit grows. That higher payment becomes especially valuable if you live a long life or if you’re married and want to leave a higher survivor benefit to your spouse.
What to Do If You Can’t Wait Until 70
If you absolutely need to start collecting Social Security earlier, don’t panic. This strategy isn’t all-or-nothing. You can still delay for even a year or two past your full retirement age and get a proportional boost. Every month you delay matters.
And if you’re already past 62 and considering early retirement, start looking at ways to build a bridge income strategy. This could include:
- Drawing from a Roth IRA (tax-free, if eligible)
- Using a small portion of a 401(k) or traditional IRA
- Taking on part-time consulting, gig work, or low-stress employment
- Tapping a Health Savings Account (HSA) for medical expenses tax-free
The goal isn’t to stretch forever. It’s to give yourself 3 to 5 years of breathing room so you can unlock significantly higher benefits for the decades to come.
Why the Government Rewards You for Waiting
This isn’t a trick. Social Security was designed when life expectancy was much lower. Back then, people didn’t live long enough for these deferrals to compound into massive gains.
Today, it’s common to live into your 80s or 90s, which means the government actually benefits when people claim early and die earlier. But if you outlive their projections, the system ends up paying you more.
Delaying Social Security is essentially a hedge against longevity risk—the chance that you’ll live so long you’ll run out of money. A higher monthly benefit later in life can help you pay for long-term care, inflation, or medical surprises—without draining your investments.
The Catch: You Need a Plan
This strategy sounds easy, but it only works if you plan ahead. You’ll need to calculate how much income you’ll need between your retirement age and age 70 and where it will come from.
A financial advisor or retirement planner can help you “map the gap” and decide whether this move fits your situation. The worst thing you can do is retire early, start Social Security early, and then regret locking yourself into a lower benefit.
Remember: Social Security decisions are hard to reverse. Once you file, you typically only have one year to withdraw your claim—and you must repay everything you received. So think before you act.
The Ideal Candidate for This Strategy
You’re a great fit for this move if:
- You’re retiring in your early-to-mid 60s
- You have enough savings to cover a few years without Social Security
- You’re in good health and expect to live beyond 80
- You’re married and want to maximize spousal benefits
- You’re worried about outliving your money more than dying young
This isn’t just for wealthy retirees. It’s for anyone who can tolerate a temporary gap in income for the promise of long-term security. And in today’s unpredictable economy, that trade-off is more valuable than ever.
Don’t Just Retire. Strategize
Retirement isn’t just about when you stop working. It’s about how you transition into your next chapter with confidence, strategy, and intention.
This one move, delaying Social Security until age 70, could quietly add $100,000 or more to your nest egg without requiring more income, better investments, or perfect budgeting. All it takes is a smart, well-timed decision.
Have you considered delaying Social Security, or are you planning to take it as soon as possible?
Read More:
7 Retirement Accounts With Perks Nobody Uses
11 Retirement Planning Hacks That Sound Illegal (But Aren’t)
Riley is an Arizona native with over nine years of writing experience. From personal finance to travel to digital marketing to pop culture, she’s written about everything under the sun. When she’s not writing, she’s spending her time outside, reading, or cuddling with her two corgis.
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