For recipients who began receiving benefits before May 1997 or who receive both Social Security and Supplemental Security Income (SSI), payments are made on the third of each month. SSI payments are made on the first of each month.

Dear Rusty: I had to start collecting Social Security at 62, and I am 75 now. I believe that in the last 13 years I have saved Social Security money, so I do not know why I cannot draw my full benefits now.

A half-dozen changes, concerning everything from Social Security checks to the payroll tax select workers will owe, are now in effect.

As we step into 2025, you may be setting financial goals for the year and putting together your to-do list. While you're at it, you should also keep tabs on the Social Security changes coming this year.

Newsday talked with financial advisers for advice on when you should sign up to start receiving benefits, and an expert on the politics of Social Security explains why there are proposals to raise the retirement age beyond 67 — and why that hasn’t happened.

Deciding when to take Social Security benefits is one of the most important questions to answer in planning your retirement strategy. Second to that is understanding what might increase-or reduce-your benefit amount.