Passing the Social Security Benefits Earnings Test
A big reason experts advise waiting until at least full retirement age to claim Social Security: You get to skip the benefits earnings test, which hits early claimers who are still working. But there are actually two earnings tests-and the second test can help early retirees leaving work midyear avoid the trap.
The Social Security Administration always applies the annual earnings test first. Based on that test, the agency temporarily withholds $1 of a worker's benefits for every $2
