The #1 Social Security Math Rule Most People Misunderstand

Holy Schmidt! December 22, 2025
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Holy Schmidt!

@holyschmidt

About

At Holy Schmidt!, we help you get the most out of your retirement. Whether you’re getting close, already retired, or just starting to plan, you’ll find smart, simple, and effective answers here - with no politics, no agendas, and no spin. The only side we’re on is yours. We cover Social Security, Medicare, taxes, income, and net worth, focusing on money rules that work and mistakes to avoid. We also discuss what truly matters in retirement: happiness, safety, security, and social well-being. Subscribe and turn on notifications. We post three times per week and host a live stream every Tuesday at 7:00 PM ET. Geoffrey Schmidt, CPA Director of the Retirement Ready Academy Award-Winning Author and International Speaker Note: All images, clips, sounds and music are either my own, or I own the license to use them on this channel and on my other social media sites, websites and podcast.

Video Description

✅ Need Medicare Help? Get FREE personalized guidance from our trusted partner Chapter — they represent all major plans and will help you find the one that’s right for YOU. 📞 Call Now: 440-703-1224 This video discusses the (wrong) way many people calculate their Social Security payment increases for delayed claiming credits or early filing reductions. It goes on to explain why people commonly get this wrong and shows the right way to think about it. _____________________________________ Confused about how Social Security works for you? Go from beginner to confident in under 5 hours with our course: Social Security Simplified. Check it out here: https://holyschmidt.com/SocialSecurity _____________________________________ If you're still using spreadsheets for your financial planning, you're doing it the HARD WAY. Check out the best planning software I've found - BOLDIN (prev. NewRetirement) personal financial planning software. Free 2 week trial and $12 mo ($144/yr after). I use it and recommend it. Use this link to try Boldin for free for 2 weeks: https://hlyshm.it/Boldin _____________________________________ Please note: some of the companies and websites above are affiliate relationships of ours which means that it you purchase their product or use their service, we receive a small fee. This does not increase your cost. _____________________________________ CONTENTS 00:00 Overview 00:56 The Big Newspaper Mistake 01:18 Delayed Retirement Credits vs Early Filing Reductions 04:40 The ROI Example 07:41 The After FRA Fallacy 09;27 Post FRA Isn't Necessarily the Biggest Payment Growth 10:00 How People Really Think _____________________________________ OTHER IMPORTANT LINKS: 2 Min Quiz - How Prepared Are You For Retirement? https://hlyshm.it/Quiz FREE Retirement Ready Checklist: https://hlyshm.it/ha5 Follow Me on Instagram: https://hlyshm.it/ha6 Geoff's Facebook Page: https://hlyshm.it/ha7 Federal Reserve Board Survey of Consumer Finances: https://www.federalreserve.gov/econres/scfindex.htm Social Security Administration Application for Benefits https://secure.ssa.gov/iClaim/rib Current Social Security Cost of Living Adjustment https://www.ssa.gov/cola/ Social Security Payment Estimator https://www.ssa.gov/benefits/retirement/estimator.html Geoffrey Schmidt, CPA Bio: Geoff Schmidt is a CPA who specializes in personal financial education for those approaching or in Retirement. Geoff spends 100% of this time on financial education through social media. Legal disclaimer: Chapter Advisory, LLC (“Chapter”) is a private health insurance agency. In California, Chapter does business as Chapter Insurance Services (Lic. No. 6003691). Chapter is not affiliated with or endorsed by any government entity. While Chapter has a database of every Medicare plan option nationwide and can help you to search among all options, it has contracts with many but not all plans. As a result, Chapter does not offer every plan available in your area. Currently, Chapter represents 50 organizations which offer 18,601 products nationwide. You can contact a licensed Chapter agent to find out the number of products available in your specific area. Please contact Medicare.gov, 1-800-Medicare, or your local State Health Insurance Program (SHIP) to get information on all of your options. Enrollment in a plan may be limited to certain times of the year unless you qualify for a Special Enrollment Period or you are in your Medicare Initial Enrollment Period. Average potential savings are based on realized premium, co-pay, and out of pocket savings estimates self-reported by consumers that worked with Chapter Advisory LLC to enroll in a Medicare Supplement, Medicare Advantage, and/or Part D Prescription Drug Plan. The average is limited to consumers that chose to self-report. Savings information is subject to periodic updates and corrections. There is no guarantee of savings and any savings may vary by policy type, state, or other factors. Channel Disclaimer: this video is for educational and entertainment purposes only and is not meant to be a substitute for legal, accounting, tax, or professional advice. If you have any specific questions about any legal, accounting, tax or other professional service matter you should consult the appropriate professional services provider. Holy Schmidt! is not affiliated with the Social Security Administration, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services or any government agency.

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