{"product_id":"the-social-security-decision-carl-dupuy-9798255042418","title":"The Social Security Decision: When to Claim Social Security Benefits, How to Navigate Medicare, and Get Every Dollar You've Earned","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e*** Updated for 2026 *** \u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eKaren's husband filed for Social Security at 62. He thought he was making the right call - money coming in sooner, more years to enjoy it. That night Karen sat at the kitchen table and ran the numbers.\u003cp\u003eThe difference between his choice and waiting until 70 was not thousands of dollars. It was \u003cb\u003ehundreds of thousands.\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eMost people make this decision with incomplete information. This book fixes that.\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003ci\u003eThe Social Security Decision\u003c\/i\u003e is a step-by-step guide to the most consequential retirement choice you will face. Written for real people - not financial professionals - it walks you through exactly how your benefit is calculated, what claiming early or waiting actually costs in your specific situation, and how to build a strategy you can defend with real numbers.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eInside you will find: \u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e- The break-even calculation in plain terms - run with your own numbers, not hypotheticals\u003cbr\u003e- Spousal and survivor benefits: why the higher earner's claiming age can protect a spouse for decades after they are gone\u003cbr\u003e- Medicare enrollment, IRMAA, the earnings test, and the 2025 Social Security Fairness Act - everything that affects what you actually take home\u003cbr\u003e- Six complete worksheets that capture your benefit amounts, your circumstances, and your final decision in one place\u003cbr\u003e- Five reader profiles - single, married, divorced, widowed, and government worker - showing exactly how each situation plays out from first number to final claim date\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eThe book also covers the mistakes that cost retirees the most\u003c\/b\u003e - claiming early while still working, missing Medicare enrollment windows, triggering IRMAA surcharges, and leaving a surviving spouse with permanently reduced income.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThis is not a general overview. Every chapter ends with a specific action step. Every worksheet is designed to be filled in and carried forward. By the time you finish, you will have a personalized claiming strategy built from your own earnings record, your health, your family, and your tax picture - not someone else's example.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eWhether you are five years out or five months out, this decision is worth making carefully.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eYou paid into this system for decades. This book helps you get every dollar back.\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAuthor:\u003c\/b\u003e Carl Dupuy\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eISBN-13:\u003c\/b\u003e 9798255042418\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublisher:\u003c\/b\u003e Independently Published\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eLanguage:\u003c\/b\u003e English\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublished:\u003c\/b\u003e 04\/07\/2026\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePages:\u003c\/b\u003e 278\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eFormat:\u003c\/b\u003e Paperback\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eWeight:\u003c\/b\u003e 0.83lbs\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eSize:\u003c\/b\u003e 9.00h x 6.00w x 0.63d","brand":"Carl Dupuy","offers":[{"title":"Paperback","offer_id":49084302819583,"sku":"9798255042418","price":16.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"url":"https:\/\/www.whiterainbookhouse.com\/products\/the-social-security-decision-carl-dupuy-9798255042418","provider":"WR Book House","version":"1.0","type":"link"}