Delaying Social Security past 70 while you keep working might feel like the responsible move. ChatGPT said it’s actually one of the most common and costliest retirement mistakes people make.
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I asked the AI to run the numbers on what waiting to claim after 70 actually costs, and the math is hard to argue with.
The Rule Most People Don’t Know
Social Security benefits max out at age 70. Every year you wait from 62 on adds to your monthly check. But after 70, the math stops working in your favor entirely. There are no additional increases, no bonuses and no catch-up mechanism for payments you missed.
Every month you delay claiming after 70 is simply a payment you never receive.
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What the Lost Payments Look Like
ChatGPT ran the numbers using a $3,000 monthly benefit at age 70, which is roughly in line with what a higher earner who waited to claim would receive.
Waiting until 72 means skipping 24 payments. That’s $72,000 gone. Waiting until 75 costs $180,000 in foregone income. Waiting until 80, which some people do while still working, means $360,000 in payments that were never collected and can never be recovered.
Why People Make This Mistake
ChatGPT said the confusion usually comes from a reasonable assumption that doesn’t hold past 70. Before that age, waiting is almost always smart because each year of delay adds roughly 8% to your benefit. People internalize that logic and keep applying it after the cutoff, not realizing the rule changed.
After 70 there is no reward for waiting. It is purely lost income.
When Working Past 70 Still Makes Sense
ChatGPT was careful not to frame working past 70 as a mistake on its own. The mistake is working past 70 and not claiming.
If you’re still earning well and don’t need the income, taking Social Security while continuing to work can actually be a strong strategy. You can invest those monthly payments, use them to reduce withdrawals from your portfolio or simply let your investments keep compounding untouched. In some scenarios, that combination produces more total lifetime wealth than any alternative.
The problem comes when people delay claiming because they think a bigger check is coming. After 70, it isn’t.
The Smarter Move Most People Miss
ChatGPT called this one of the most overlooked strategies in retirement planning: Claim Social Security at 70 and keep working if you want to. There is no rule that forces you to stop earning in order to receive benefits at that age, and the income penalty that applies to early claimers who keep working disappears entirely once you reach full retirement age.
Collecting $3,000 a month from Social Security while continuing to earn from work gives you maximum flexibility. You can invest the payments, reduce what you pull from savings or simply spend less of your portfolio each month. All of those options beat leaving guaranteed income on the table.
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This article originally appeared on GOBankingRates.com: I Asked ChatGPT What Working Past 70 Costs Me in Lost Social Security Payments
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