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Are you aware of the three changes we can expect for Social Security in 2025?
The Social Security Administration (SSA) won’t announce final updates until the second week of October.
But you can expect three important changes in 2025.
These changes don’t just affect retirees.
Current workers need to pay attention too.
If that’s you, it’s important to ensure you’re earning enough SS credits and understand how much of your income will be subject to the 6.2% SS tax.
Here are the changes you can expect…
Change #1 – The One That Will NOT Be Appreciated At All
Unfortunately, the full retirement age (FRA) is increasing.
The FRA is between 66 and 67 right now (depending on your birth year).
But it will be 66 years and 10 months starting in 2025.
This means 2024 will be the last year with an FRA below 67.
So if you turn 66 in 2024…
Your FRA is 66 years and 8 months.
For those born in 1959 and turning 66 next year…
The FRA will be 66 years and 10 months.
By 2026, anyone born in 1960 or later will have an FRA of 67.
This is NOT good news – at all.
We already have one of the oldest retirement age minimums in the western world.
PLUS, many people—particularly those who work physical jobs—can’t make it to 65 a lot of the time. Let alone 67 and beyond.
Change #2 – SS Credits and Taxes in 2025
To be eligible for Social Security benefits…
You need to accumulate enough work credits.
The SSA requires you earn 40 credits over your working life to qualify for retirement benefits. Without these credits, you won’t receive benefits.
You can earn up to 4 credits each year…
And the number of credits you have also determines your eligibility for disability benefits, Medicare, and survivor benefits for your family.
For 2024, you need to earn $1,730 in wages or self-employment income to get one credit, and $6,920 to earn the maximum of four credits for the year.
These thresholds go up every year…
So you can expect the amounts to be higher in 2025.
The wage gap for SS taxes will also increase.
Social Security taxes and benefits are calculated based on a wage cap, meaning there’s a maximum amount of income you pay Social Security taxes on each year.
For 2024, this cap is $168,600.
And it will likely increase in 2025.
This means that if you earn more than $168,600…
You’ll face a higher Social Security tax bill once the new limit is in place.
And last but not least…
Change #3 – The New Meager COLA for 2025
With prices hikes of 20% – 30% across the board since 2021…
The cost-of-living adjustments (COLA) of the past few years have been a joke.
And it will be no different in 2025.
In fact, Social Security recipients are expected to receive the smallest COLA in four years.
The 2025 COLA is projected to be a meager 2.57%.
This means seniors will barely get any help for the MASSIVE cost-of-living crisis we have.
Frankly, the current path of Social Security is a disgrace.
The SS trust funds are also on a path of being depleted within the next 10 years.
And because of this…
Social Security recipients now face a bleak and uncertain future with their EARNED benefits.
That’s why it’s more important than ever to secure your financial future with effective tools that can boost your income.
Yours in Wealth,
Ian Wyatt