The Social Security Claiming Kit

Most people make the biggest retirement decision of their life in about fifteen minutes, using a government website that reads like it was written to be ignored.

Then they live with that choice for the next twenty or thirty years.

I'm Dave Sullivan. I spent twenty five years in banking, and I sat across the desk from hundreds of people in their late fifties and early sixties asking me the same question in a lowered voice, like it was embarrassing to admit: "Dave, when should I actually take my Social Security?"

It is not embarrassing. It is genuinely confusing, and once you claim, most of it is locked in for good.

This kit fixes that in an afternoon.

What you get

1. The Social Security Claiming Kit (20 page PDF guide)

Not a wall of text. Large readable type, short paragraphs, simple charts and callout boxes, designed to be comfortable to read if you are past the age of squinting at fine print. Inside:

• Claiming at 62 vs Full Retirement Age vs 70, and exactly how each one changes your monthly check
• The month by month reduction table, because you are not limited to those three birthdays
• Spousal benefits, including the rule most married couples miss entirely
• Divorced after a marriage of ten years or more? You may qualify for a benefit on your ex's record, and they will never know
• Survivor benefits explained gently, plus the switching strategy that Social Security will not always volunteer
• Working while claiming early, and how the earnings test can quietly withhold thousands
• Whether your benefits will be taxed, with a full worked example
• The top 5 costly mistakes I watched people make, over and over
• The two escape hatches if you claim and change your mind
• A 6 month countdown checklist so nothing gets missed

2. The Claiming Age Calculator (mobile friendly, no login, no spreadsheet)

Open it on your phone, tablet or computer. Enter two numbers from your Social Security statement, your birth year and your benefit at Full Retirement Age. Press one button.

You instantly see your estimated monthly check at 62, at your Full Retirement Age and at 70, plus a plain English explanation of your personal breakeven age. Big buttons, big text, nothing to install, nothing to sign up for. It works offline once you have it.

Who this is for

Anyone between 55 and 65 who wants to make this decision on facts instead of guesses, or on what a neighbor told them at a barbecue.

Who this is not for

Anyone looking for a get rich scheme, personalized investment advice, or a hundred page technical document. This is the clear version, not the complicated one.

What it costs

$39.99. One time. Yours to keep and reread as often as you like.

For most people reading this, getting the claiming age right is worth tens of thousands of dollars over a retirement. Getting it wrong quietly costs the same amount, and you never see the bill.

Retire on facts, not on guesses.

Important: This kit is educational and is not financial, tax or legal advice. Dave Sullivan is an educational persona. Dollar figures and limits are simplified examples that change each year. Always confirm your personal numbers with the Social Security Administration at ssa.gov and speak with a qualified professional before making a claiming decision. This product is not affiliated with or endorsed by the Social Security Administration or any government agency.