Getting $3,822 in February will be possible for some eligible retirees. This awesome payment is for those who have met 4 Social Security requirements. If compared with average checks, this one is $1,915 higher.
Since the average retirement payment is $1,907 in 2024, up from $1,848 in 2023, it is almost double the amount. In fact, very few American workers qualify for such a large check.
Even if it seems to be unattainable, it is possible. What seems to be impossible, may just take a little longer. And this is actually true because one of the things you must do to get a payment worth $3,882 is to delay retirement.
FILE AT FULL RETIREMENT AGE
If you file at Full Retirement Age, you are a step closer to getting a larger check. Still, this will not be enough even if you can qualify for 100% of your benefits amount.
Early retirement at the age of 62 means receiving less money from Social Security. Do you really feel like getting 30 percent less every month? Can you really afford it?
In most case, retirees do not think about the money they will not receive if they file early. If you have saved and invested a lot, you may not even need retirement payments.
However, if you do not have a large nest egg, think of the expenses you will have, and reflect on inflation and medical expenses. There are many expenses that can certainly drain your savings.
FEBRUARY PAYMENT DATES AND REQUIREMENTS TO GET $3,822 IN 2024
If you filed and started collecting benefits before May 1997, February 2 will be your payday. The second payday will be on February 14, but only if you did not receive checks before May 1997 and your birthday is from 1-10.
The third payment will be due on February 21. This money will only be for those seniors who are on benefits from May 1997 onward and whose birthday is from 11-21.
The last opportunity to get money from Social Security in February will be on February 28. If you did not get retirement checks before May 1997, this payment could be yours. Make sure your birthday is from 21-31.
Finally, to get $3,822 you must have earned the taxable maximum for 35 years. If you have not worked for a minimum of 35 years and have not been such a high earner you do not qualify. The taxable maximum is the amount you reach if you have earnings of $168,600 in 2024. It was lower in previous years though.
