These days, people are getting all kinds of advice from so-called influencers on various social media platforms. Investment advice offered by self-styled “experts” is one common example. 

This week we read a Wall Street Journal column in which financial writer Jason Zweig takes a look at what the article calls “social media’s latest investing hot take”: claiming Social Security benefits at age 62 so you can invest that money in today’s overheated stock market. Zweig asks the question, do stocks really out-perform Social Security? His answer may surprise you. 

Zweig’s look at this question comes with a warning. Beware, he says, of celebrity advisors whose schemes might very well “lead you astray on timing your retirement benefits.” We’ll take a closer look to see what he means. (Please note that a subscription may be required to access the Wall Street Journal online.) 

“Trendy” Investment Advice Suggests Using SS Dollars to Invest 

Zweig begins on an ironic note. “Years ago,” he writes, “politicians proposed putting stocks into Social Security. These days, the trendy advice is to put your Social Security into stocks.” (He’s talking about the push that started during the administration of President George W. Bush to partially privatize the Social Security system to permit stock market investing.) 

The source of this trendy advice is clear. “On TikTok and YouTube, dozens of financial advisers and other ‘finfluencers’ are posting videos urging people to start claiming Social Security as early as possible—at age 62—so they can invest the monthly retirement benefits in the stock market,” Zweig explains.  

The advice may be trendy, but is it wise? Zweig has a clear answer: no, it isn’t. 

Sometimes “Conventional Wisdom” is the Right Course 

In his column, Zweig examines the notion of filing for benefits as early as possible. Claiming at 62, he states, “flies in the face of the traditional advice to delay Social Security as long as possible, until age 70 if you can.”  The reason, is simple. “The longer you defer, the higher your monthly benefit will be—for as long as you live.”  (We should also point out here that the decision to defer benefits may very likely affect your spouse if he or she outlives you.) 

Zweig’s bottom line couldn’t be clearer. “Conventional wisdom is often wrong,” he asserts. “Not this time. Taking Social Security early just to invest the money in stocks is a dumb idea for most people.” 

“Finfluencers” Claim the Market Will Always Perform Well   

Zweig has little regard for the social media experts, who he calls “fast-talking finfluencers.” He says they’re ignoring the lessons of history, not to mention demographics.  

Part of deciding on a Social Security claiming strategy involves some educated guesswork regarding your anticipated lifespan. The truth is that many of us will live longer than we expect. 

“If you’re in your early 60s, don’t smoke, have a college degree and earn a middle-to-upper income, you’re likely to live to your mid-80s,” Zweig writes. 

If you elect to take Social Security at age 62, your stream of payments over your lifespan will be significantly reduced. The social media experts say to pour those funds into stocks. “Given the historical return on stocks of 7 percent annually after inflation, they argue, you’re bound to come out ahead in the long run,” Zweig writes. “Wow! Why doesn’t everybody do that?” 

Only One Investment Choice Provides Risk-Free Inflation Adjustment 

Zweig says that those advocating the early-filing strategy are only telling us part of the story.  

“What the videos don’t tell you is that—so far at least—Social Security has always provided inflation-adjusted income, risk free,” he states. “The stock market doesn’t.” 

Zweig spoke with former Treasury Department official Mark Iwry. “Social Security is the best annuity you can ‘buy,’” Iwry tells the Wall Street Journal. “But you can buy much more of it by waiting.” 

Zweig goes on to illustrate his point with a few examples, which we’ve edited due to limited space. 

Delayed Filing Boosts Benefit by 77 Percent 

First, the article explains, there’s the obvious benefit of delaying Social Security. If you are a 62-year-old with an expected life span to 85, you will see an inflation-adjusted monthly benefit at age 70 that is 77 percent higher than it would be if benefits had started immediately. What’s more, those reduced payments (if you file at age 62) are locked in for the rest of your life – and your spouse’s, if the spousal benefit matters in your situation.  

“What about missing out on the stock market’s higher return?” Zweig asks. Here the big question involves predicted investment returns, which no one can guarantee. 

Zweig’s offers two illustrations. The first assumes a steady annual rate of return from Wall Street of 7 percent. In that case, taking early benefits at 62 and buying stocks could build your nest egg to $977,000 by age 85, says Jeremy Ko of ShoreUp Retirement Solutions. By contrast, says Ko, “If you delay Social Security until age 70 and then follow the same approach, you’ll end up with just under $830,000.” 

But the other illustration proposes the opposite scenario. If the market actually declines 3 percent annually after inflation, a scenario Zweig calls “far from impossible,” then “claiming at 62 and buying stocks every year would leave you at age 85 with only a bit more than $290,000. If instead you delay until 70, you’d have almost $383,000 by age 85.” 

Zweig’s conclusion: “That’s why comparing stocks’ past returns to Social Security’s risk-free, inflation-adjusted payments isn’t apples and oranges,” he writes. “It’s like comparing a roller coaster to an escalator.” 

Stock Euphoria Meets Social Security Pessimism 

Zweig’s column provides some explanation regarding the current state of investment advice from online “experts.” 

“Two trends have created a receptive audience for the idea of taking Social Security early to bet on the stock market,” he writes. “For most of the past decade and a half, stocks have boomed, shrugging off every decline. And anyone with eyes or ears knows that fiscal recklessness in Washington is getting wilder.” 

At the same time, Social Security has been getting some bad press of late. “President Trump has claimed that Social Security is rife with fraud, while analysts worry that his policies will undermine the soundness of the program,” says Zweig. He notes that first-time claims for benefits are up 13 percent through September this year versus 2025, proof that “fearmongering has driven people to claim benefits earlier.”  

In Zweig’s view, the pessimism rings hollow. “Many finfluencers argue that with Social Security on shaky ground, your money will be safer in the stock market,” he says. But, “if Social Security went under or slashed benefits, wouldn’t that mean the entire U.S. economy was in desperate trouble? In that case, how could stocks be a good investment?” 

For Some Beneficiaries, 62 is the Right Age to Claim 

As Zweig concludes his column, he notes that there are some for whom early filing clearly makes sense. 

“Don’t get me wrong,” he writes. “For millions of Americans, taking their benefits at the earliest opportunity isn’t even a choice; it’s a necessity.”  If you need the income now, or if your life expectancy suggests you won’t live past your 70s, early filing is probably best.  

Those who have investment assets to sell to generate cash flow should get the right advice from a financial planner before taking Social Security benefits early. Instead of selling stocks to help finance your living costs, for example, you may own bonds or other fixed-income assets which Zweig says can be sold gradually as needed, leaving your stock portfolio intact. 

“Spending from your fixed-income portfolio instead of taking Social Security now enables you to earn more government-guaranteed income later,” says Zweig. “There’s enough leverage in today’s financial markets. Don’t add to it by borrowing from your own future.” 

Rajiv Says, “You Need a Financial Dashboard!” 

We asked Rajiv Nagaich to comment on this column. As expected, he takes a broader view. 

“This column is interesting, as far as it goes,” he says. “But if you’re serious about planning for your future – about Social Security, investing, or anything financial – I hope you’ll make 2026 the year when you start to think more holistically. Come to a seminar and learn how all the puzzle pieces of retirement fit together. Take action for your future!” 

When it comes to finances, Rajiv’s top suggestion shouldn’t come as a surprise.  

“I tell everyone to sit down with a qualified, objective financial planner and prepare what we call a financial dashboard. It’s a planning tool that will give you unmatched peace of mind, no matter what happens. If you have to do a financial reset, your dashboard will guide you into making the right decisions.”  

Rajiv adds, “Sad to say, most people fail to take this step. But financial planning without a dashboard is like a journey without a map. Unless you have a tool that will help you reach a healthy place financially, you’re going to repeat the same bad decisions over and over.” 

Contact us and let us provide you with the tools you need for a more secure financial future. 

Rajiv Nagaich – Your Retirement Planning Coach and Guide 

The long-awaited book by Rajiv Nagaich, called Your Retirement: Dream or Disaster, has been released and is now available to the public. Retirement: Dream or Disaster joins Rajiv’s ground-breaking DVD series and workbook, Master Your Future, as a powerful planning tool in your retirement toolbox. As a friend of AgingOptions, we know you’ll want to get your copy and spread the word.  

You’ve heard Rajiv say it repeatedly: 70 percent of retirement plans will fail. If you know someone whose retirement turned into a nightmare when they were forced into a nursing home, went broke paying for care, or became a burden to their families – and you want to make sure it doesn’t happen to you – then this book is must-read. 

Through stories, examples, and personal insights, Rajiv takes us along on his journey of expanding awareness about a problem that few are willing to talk about, yet it’s one that results in millions of Americans sleepwalking their way into their worst nightmares about aging. Rajiv lays bare the shortcomings of traditional retirement planning advice, exposes the biases many professionals have about what is best for older adults, and much more. 

Rajiv then offers a solution: LifePlanning, his groundbreaking approach to retirement planning. Rajiv explains the essential planning steps and, most importantly, how to develop the framework for these elements to work in concert toward your most deeply held retirement goals.  

Your retirement can be the exciting and fulfilling life you’ve always wanted it to be. Start by reading and sharing Rajiv’s important message. And remember, Age On, everyone! 

(originally reported at www.wsj.com)