So for example, what are the break even points between choosing to file at age 62 versus age 66 or age 70?
This article shows the approximate break even points between all of the various filing ages. The first chart shows the break even points when your Full Retirement Age is 66. To use the chart, select your first filing age decision on the left, then move right to the second filing age you’re considering:
So, for the decision between filing at age 62 versus age 66, you can see that the break even point is at the age of 78. Comparing filing at age 66 with age 70, the break even point is at age 82.
It should be noted that these break even points are the age you will be when cumulative benefits received at the later filing age becomes greater than the cumulative benefits received based on the earlier filing age. The specific break even points occur sometime during the year indicated, as the analysis is done on an annual basis (not month-to-month). In other words, the actual break even month might be any month during that year. With this difference in mind, the prior article has been updated to reflect the same. Previously the analysis showed the first full year that the later filing age was superior to the earlier filing age.
This second chart shows the break even points for when your FRA is 67. It is used exactly the same as the chart above.
As before, choose the first filing age in the left column, and then move to the right for the break even points for the various filing ages. If you were choosing between age 63 and 66, for example, the break even point is age 77. Between age 65 and age 70, the break even point is 82.