A measure of the availability of a benefit. The National Compensation Survey (NCS) presents data on the percent of workers with access to, and who participate in, employee benefits.
How to Collect Social Security. The U.S. Social Security Administration (SSA) allows eligible individuals to collect Social Security retirement benefits at any point between 62 and 70 years of age. There are pros and cons to early or late collection, but the process remains the same.
If you can't or don't want to wait until full Social Security retirement age, it's possible to begin collecting Social Security as early as age 62. While this may seem tempting, you should try to avoid it if possible. Your monthly benefit will be reduced by about 0.5% for every month you start collecting before full retirement age.