Each of North Carolinaâs nine large counties posted over-the-year wage increases in December 2015. Durham County had the highest average weekly wage among the stateâs largest counties ($1,278), followed by Mecklenburg County ($1,204), and Wake County ($1,071).
Applications for Social Security benefits can only be processed a maximum of four months before benefits are scheduled to begin. Thus, the earliest you can apply is age 61 and 9 months, and you can expect to receive your first payment four months later, the month after your birthday.
When should you apply for Social Security? Retirement planning is complicated, beginning with the decision about when to begin taking your Social Security benefits. On one hand, if you need the money and donât expect to live into your 80s, it is tempting to take Social Security as early as possible â at age 62 â to benefit from the income stream. On the other hand, you can increase your monthly payment considerably by waiting until age 70.