Ferchi

So here's one of the first things to check: Do you have covered earnings for at least 35 years? If not, you may want to continue working until you have 35 years of earnings that can be figured into your average earnings. And if you have enough covered earnings, you may want to continue working longer than 35 years -- this can still boost your Social Security income if you earn enough to drop some of your low-earning years out of your 35-year average.