If there's one thing I'd encourage people to do before claiming benefits, it would be to read your latest Social Security statement.

You can also request that the IRS withhold money for taxes from your Social Security checks up front. This would save you the trouble of having to do the math to figure out how much you might owe. If it withholds too much from your checks, you'd get the extra back as a refund when you file your tax return.

If you’re like most seniors, you’ll rely on  Social Security to provide a good portion of your income once you retire. But, it can be hard to figure out exactly what role Social Security will play in supporting you if you don’t know how much money you’ll get from the benefits program.