A quick and easy guide for how to apply for Social Security retirement, spousal and disability benefits as well as for Medicare.

The earliest you can apply for Social Security retirement benefits is four months before the month you want your benefits to start, and the earliest your benefits can start is your first full month …

If your mate isn’t yet on Social Security, you can claim your retirement benefit at 62 (or later) and switch to spousal benefits when they do file.

Only the widow, widower or child of a Social Security beneficiary can collect the death benefit. You can apply by calling Social Security or visiting a local office.

You receive the highest benefit payable on your own record if you start collecting Social Security at age 70. Once you reach your full retirement age, or FRA, you can claim 100 percent of the …

Watch this free AARP webinar for expert guidance on avoiding Social Security pitfalls that could cost you money. Watch on demand You can get that maximum if you file for ex-spouse …

No. “File and suspend,” also known as “claim and suspend,” was a maneuver for married couples to maximize their retirement benefits by utilizing spousal benefits — auxiliary benefits one …

Social Security bases your payment on your lifetime earnings; you’ll get 100 percent of it when you reach your full retirement age. File at 62; get less. If you turn 62 in 2025, you’ll be eligible …

If you are in your first year of collecting retirement benefits, you can apply to Social Security for what the agency calls a withdrawal of benefits. Why would you want to do that? Say you filed …

If you file early and retire, you’ll be stuck with permanently reduced Social Security benefits. The financial implications can be huge.