Claiming retirement benefits too early

Retiring early and enjoying the perks and benefits that come with it is what every worker dreams of. But claiming your social security benefits earlier than you should (namely before the age determined by SSA) is not exactly the best decision, financially speaking.

While the state sees no problem in sending you your monthly checks at age 62, the value of your monthly payments could drastically decrease by up to one-third or more. Unfortunately, the change is permanent, so it won’t make a huge difference when you do reach your full retirement age.