Social Security Scenario Simulator ℹ️

Benefits Calculator with Break-Even Analysis

How This Simulator Works

1
Enter Your Information: Add your current age and any future work plans above
2
Input Earnings History: Paste your earnings data below (get from your SSA statement at ssa.gov)
3
View Results: See your calculated benefits and how future work impacts them
4
Break-Even Analysis: Compare retirement ages and see when delaying retirement pays off

Your Information

Input Earnings History

Paste your earnings data from your Social Security statement. Supported formats:

CSV Format (comma-separated):
2020,65000
2021,68000
2022,72000
2023,75000
2024,78000
Tab-Delimited Format:
2020    65000
2021    68000
2022    72000
2023    75000
2024    78000

Note: Earnings will automatically be capped at each year's Social Security contribution limit. You can enter any number of years - the system will use your highest 35 years.

AIME Calculation

PIA Calculation

Monthly Benefit by Retirement Age

Break-Even Analysis Settings

Investment Option

Select Retirement Ages to Compare:

Enter up to 4 retirement ages (between 62-70) to compare:

Social Security Benefits Analysis

How to Use the Social Security Scenario Simulator

📊 Three Powerful Analysis Tools

1️⃣ Input Earnings

What it does: Calculate your Social Security benefits based on your earnings history

  • Enter your current age and future work plans
  • Paste your earnings data from your Social Security statement (year,earnings format)
  • Compare scenarios with and without additional future work

2️⃣ View Results

What you'll see: Detailed benefit calculations and monthly amounts by retirement age

  • AIME & PIA calculations - how Social Security calculates your benefits
  • Monthly benefits from age 62-70 - see the impact of early vs. delayed retirement
  • Earnings impact analysis - understand how additional work affects your benefits

3️⃣ Break-Even Analysis

The most powerful feature: Compare different retirement ages over your lifetime

  • Visual break-even detection - see exactly when delaying retirement pays off
  • Investment scenario modeling - analyze investing part of your Social Security
  • Customizable assumptions - adjust life expectancy, COLA rates, investment returns
  • Detailed year-by-year tables - export to CSV for your financial planning

💡 Pro Tips

  • Start with your SSA statement: Get your earnings history from ssa.gov
  • Try different scenarios: Compare working vs. not working additional years
  • Use break-even analysis: The visual chart shows crossover points clearly
  • Consider investment options: See how investing Social Security payments could impact your total wealth
  • Export your data: Save detailed analysis tables for financial planning

Understanding Break-Even Analysis

What is a Break-Even Point?

A break-even point occurs when the cumulative total received by someone who delayed retirement surpasses the cumulative total of someone who retired earlier.

Example:

• Person A retires at age 62 and starts collecting smaller monthly benefits immediately
• Person B retires at age 70 and starts collecting larger monthly benefits later
• Initially, Person A has collected more total money
• Eventually, Person B's higher monthly benefits accumulate to surpass Person A's total
• That crossover point is the break-even age

How We Detect Break-Even Points:

The analysis examines the cumulative total lines on the chart and identifies where they intersect:

  • Cumulative Tracking: We track total money received (including COLA adjustments) for each retirement age
  • Investment Consideration: When investment option is enabled, we compare total wealth (SS + investments)
  • Crossover Detection: We find ages where a "later retirement" line crosses above an "earlier retirement" line
  • Practical Meaning: After the break-even age, delaying retirement provides more lifetime value

Important Notes:

• Break-even analysis assumes you live to your specified life expectancy
• It doesn't account for other factors like healthcare costs, taxes, or opportunity costs
• The "best" strategy depends on your health, financial needs, and risk tolerance