Retirement doesn’t always mean leaving work forever. Many older Americans pick up seasonal jobs, consult a few days each month, or work part time simply to help offset rising grocery, insurance, and healthcare costs. But if you start collecting Social Security before reaching your full retirement age, earning “too much” from a job can temporarily reduce your monthly benefit. That’s enough to make some retirees turn down work they actually want. However, the Social Security earnings test isn’t all that punitive. Here is what you need to know about how it works.
