Retiring five years early sounds like a dream. But according to ChatGPT, it could cost you a quarter-million dollars.
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GOBankingRates asked the artificial intelligence (AI) chatbot to break down the real financial difference between claiming Social Security at 62 versus 67, and the numbers are eye-opening.
The Monthly Gap
Claiming Social Security at 62 permanently reduces your benefit by about 30% compared with waiting until your full retirement age of 67. ChatGPT used a straightforward example to show what that looks like in practice: a $1,400 monthly benefit at 62 versus $2,000 at 67.
That $600 monthly difference adds up to $7,200 a year. Over a decade, that’s $72,000 gone.
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The Lifetime Number
The real damage shows up over a long retirement. ChatGPT calculated that for someone who lives into their mid-to-late 80s, waiting until 67 to claim can mean $100,000 to $250,000 more in total lifetime income. Claiming early means collecting longer, but the smaller checks never catch up.
The break-even point, the age at which waiting starts paying off, lands around 78 to 80. Live past that, and delaying almost always wins financially.
What You’re Actually Deciding
ChatGPT framed this as less of a math problem and more of a personal calculation. Claiming at 62 makes sense if you need income right away, have health concerns or don’t expect a long retirement. Waiting until 67 makes more sense if you’re in good health, want higher guaranteed income or want to protect a spouse.
That last point matters more than most people realize. For married couples, the higher earner’s benefit determines what the surviving spouse collects later. Delaying that benefit can mean significantly larger checks for a widow or widower decades down the road.
The Hidden Costs Most People Miss
Beyond the monthly reduction, ChatGPT pointed out two less obvious penalties for claiming early.
First, your annual cost-of-living adjustments are calculated on a lower base amount, so every raise you get over time is smaller than it would have been. Second, if you claim at 62 but keep working, your benefit can be temporarily reduced even further until you reach full retirement age.
The Simple Rule
ChatGPT kept the takeaway clean: If you expect a shorter retirement, you can consider claiming early. If you expect a long one, it may be best to delay. For most people in average or above-average health, waiting until 67 or even 70 produces significantly more money over a lifetime.
Retiring at 62 feels like a win on day one. For many retirees, it could end up being one of the most expensive decisions they ever make.
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This article originally appeared on GOBankingRates.com: I Asked ChatGPT What Retiring at 62 vs. 67 Really Costs: The Answer Is Hundreds of Thousands of Dollars
