A lot of us start off the new year eager to tackle different financial resolutions — paying down debt, increasing savings, and kicking expensive habits. But the start of a new year is also a great time to focus on Social Security.

Now you may be thinking, “But wait a minute — I’m nowhere close to being ready to retire. Why do I need to even think about Social Security, much less spend time focusing on it?”

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But the reality is that some of the Social Security moves you make during your working years could set you up for higher monthly benefits during your retirement years. So with that in mind, here are a few key moves worth tackling before January comes to an end.

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1. Make sure your earnings record is accurate

It’s a bad thing for the Social Security Administration (SSA) to have missing income for you on file. That’s because the benefits you’re able to collect in retirement are calculated based on your personal earnings record.

If that record is missing income, guess what that means? A potentially lower monthly benefit for life.

That’s why it’s so important to review your earnings statement from the SSA each year. And there’s an easy way to get it. Just create an account on SSA.gov and access an electronic copy (though if you’re 60 or older, you should get a physical copy of that statement in the mail each year). If you see that your earnings statement doesn’t fully capture all of the income you’ve earned, you’ll have an opportunity to contact the SSA so they can investigate.

2. Find out your full retirement age — and what benefit you might get at that point

Full retirement age is when you’re able to collect your full monthly Social Security benefit without a reduction, and it depends on your year of birth. To save you a bit of trouble, if you were born in 1960 or later, full retirement age is 67.

What does that mean for your monthly retirement income? That’s where the earnings statement we just talked about comes in. Your earnings statement won’t just list your wages — it should also include an estimate of your monthly Social Security benefit at full retirement age.

Now the closer you are to that point, the more accurate that estimate is likely to be. But here’s why it’s an important piece of information to have.

Let’s say retirement is still a good number of years away, but you’ve been saving for it pretty minimally thinking you could fall back on a generous monthly payday from Social Security. Well, if you check your earnings statement and see that your monthly benefit at full retirement age isn’t so spectacular, you’ll be motivated to boost your IRA or 401(k) plan contributions. And the sooner you realize that, the better.

3. Come up with a strategy to boost your income

A higher income could work wonders for your near-term finances. But it could also lead to a larger monthly benefit from Social Security down the line.

Before the month is out, set some income goals for 2025 and figure out a path to get there. You may decide to interview for a new job, or learn certain new skills so you’re eligible for a promotion at your current one. Or, you may decide to hop aboard the side hustle bandwagon and boost your income that way.

And in case you’re wondering, side hustle earnings absolutely count toward Social Security — that is, as long as the IRS knows about them. But since not reporting income could get you into big trouble, it pays to come clean about the money you’re making on the side.

You may have a lot on your plate as you navigate your way through the start of 2025. But it pays to tackle these Social Security moves sooner rather than later so you’re able to make savvy decisions that could have a positive impact on your retirement.

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