The Early Bird Catches the Smaller Check Martha Shedden, co founder of the National Association of Registered Social Security Analysts (NARSA), has spent 15 years educating Americans about informed decision making when claiming their Social Security benefits.
However, she's recently witnessed a disturbing trend: retirees and near retirees are panicking and claiming benefits at 62, potentially locking in permanently smaller monthly checks for life.
This phenomenon is not just anecdotal; NARSA's survey of 189 RSSAs in August paints a stark picture. Almost three quarters (73.