Once you retire, you may find that you need your monthly Social Security benefits to pay your essential bills. So it's important to try to lock in the largest monthly benefit possible.
Believe it or not, there are a few key moves you can make this year to set yourself up with more generous benefits in retirement. Here are three specific moves to put on your radar in 2026 to snag larger Social Security checks later.
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1. Boost your wages
The amount of money Social Security pays you each month in retirement will hinge on your personal earnings history. Social Security takes your 35 top-paying years of wages into account when calculating your benefits. So if you're able to give your income a boost this year, it could help you score larger checks once your career comes to an end.
Boosted wages could help your retirement finances in other ways, too. They could make it possible to steadily fund an IRA or 401(k) plan this year, leading to more savings. And the more money you sneak into your retirement account in 2026, the sooner that money can get invested.
You should know that any wages you pay taxes on count toward your future Social Security benefits. So even if you can only squeeze so much out of your employer, if you're willing to do gig or freelance work on the side, that income should count toward your future Social Security payments.
2. Review your most recent earnings statement
Social Security documents your reported income each year via a detailed earnings statement. That statement contains information on wages earned and taxes paid. It also includes an estimate of your future retirement benefit.
It's important to make sure that your Social Security earnings statement is accurate each year. If you have income that's underreported, it could lead to a smaller monthly benefit in retirement when you've earned the right to a larger one.
Reviewing your earnings statement is a simple matter of creating an account on the Social Security Administration's website. If you spot any inaccuracies, you can contact the agency to sort things out.
3. Delay your claim if you're old enough to file for benefits
If you'll be 62 or older in 2026, it means you're able to start receiving Social Security benefits. But if you hold off on claiming those benefits, you can boost them in the process.
You're eligible for your complete Social Security benefit each month without a reduction at full retirement age, which is 67 if you were born in 1960 or later. You can also grow your benefits by delaying your claim past full retirement age. Each year you hold off gives you an automatic 8% increase, until you turn 70.
It's a good idea to delay your Social Security claim if you know you're nearing retirement without a lot of savings. A larger monthly check could easily make up for smaller IRA or 401(k) withdrawals.
For example, the average retirement benefit Social Security pays today is about $2,000 a month. If that's the amount you're entitled to at age 67, waiting until age 70 could leave you with close to $2,500 a month instead. That could make a huge difference in your day-to-day finances.
It may surprise you to learn that the moves you make in the coming year could spell the difference between more Social Security in retirement versus less. But if you make a point to boost your wages, verify your earnings record, and delay your claim once you're eligible to file, you could end up with a far more generous monthly Social Security benefit throughout your senior years.
