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Chasing Social Security's Maximum Monthly Benefit? Here's the 1 Thing That Could Trip You Up.

It's a factor you may not be able to control.

Chasing Social Security's Maximum Monthly Benefit? Here's the 1 Thing That Could Trip You Up.

Published July 14, 2026 · Category: Finance

Overview

If your goal is to collect the largest possible Social Security check in retirement, you probably know the basics: Work for at least 35 years and wait until age 70 to claim benefits. But there's one hurdle many claimants overlook.

Even if you delay your claim until 70 and put in a full 35-year career, you may still fall short of Social Security's maximum monthly benefit simply because you didn't earn enough over your working years. That's because the program's biggest retirement check isn't available to everyone. It's reserved for workers who consistently earned at or above Social Security's annual taxable wage cap for decades.

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Originally published at www.fool.com.

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