Quiz: Do You Know How to Maximize Your Social Security Check?
Test your knowledge of Social Security delayed retirement credits with our quick quiz.
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Getting the maximum possible Social Security check isn't just about having a high salary; it’s about mastering the timing and the specific rules of the Social Security Administration. With the maximum monthly benefit hitting $5,181 in 2026 for those claiming at age 70, the stakes for your retirement strategy have never been higher.
Whether you're navigating the earnings test while working or considering a strategic "pause" to earn an annual boost, understanding these concepts is the key to a secure financial future. Take this quiz to see if you have the expertise to claim your full share of the system.
And don't worry if you miss an answer; you can follow the links below the quiz to brush up on your knowledge.
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More on Social Security, from the Kiplinger retirement team:
- Delay Social Security Benefits — Even by a Month — to Boost Your Check
- What's My Social Security Full Retirement Age (FRA)?
- When To Take Social Security Payments: Your Age Matters
- Two Ways To Stop and Restart Social Security: Ditch the Regret
- The Social Security Earnings Test: Know This Rule Before Working in Retirement
- Can Both Spouses Collect Social Security Benefits?
- How Divorced Retirees Can Maximize Their Social Security Benefits: A Case Study
- 13 Answers to Pressing Social Security Questions
- Social Security Basics: Things You Must Know About Claiming and Maximizing Your Social Security Benefits
- Reasons to Take Social Security Early
- The 10 Most Costly Social Security Mistakes to Avoid
Profit and prosper with the best of Kiplinger's advice on investing, taxes, retirement, personal finance and much more. Delivered daily. Enter your email in the box and click Sign Me Up.

Donna joined Kiplinger as a personal finance writer in 2023. She spent more than a decade as the contributing editor of J.K.Lasser's Your Income Tax Guide and edited state specific legal treatises at ALM Media. She has shared her expertise as a guest on Bloomberg, CNN, Fox, NPR, CNBC and many other media outlets around the nation. She is a graduate of Brooklyn Law School and the University at Buffalo.
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