Your Social Security Benefits Aren't Always Set in Stone Once You Apply. 3 Ways to Get a Bigger Check Beyond the Annual COLA.

Few factors can have as big of an impact on most seniors' finances in retirement than the size of their Social Security check. Six in 10 retirees say Social Security is a major source of income for their household, according to the most recent edition of Gallup's annual poll on the government program.While Social Security includes an annual cost-of-living adjustment, or COLA, to help benefits keep up with inflation, many seniors have felt the pinch of rising housing and healthcare prices. The Senior Citizens League estimates the average retiree who started Social Security in 2010 has lost 20% of their purchasing power since then.The good news for many seniors is that Social Security benefits aren't always set in stone. There are ways you can increase your benefits beyond the annual COLA, and it may be worth exploring several options that might be available to you. Here are three ways you could increase your monthly check.Continue readingWeiter zum vollständigen Artikel bei MotleyFool Weiter zum vollständigen Artikel bei MotleyFool