In this episode, we dive into a common misconception about how Social Security benefits are calculated: does it really come down to your last 3 years of work? Spoiler alert: it doesn’t! Instead, your Social Security retirement benefit is based on your average earnings over your 35 highest-earning years, adjusted for inflation to account for wage changes throughout your career. We’ll explore what this means for those with varying work histories—whether you’ve worked more than 35 years or fewer. Discover how recent high earnings can replace earlier lower-earning years and how gaps or shorter work histories might impact your benefits. Tune in to gain a clearer understanding of how your Social Security is truly calculated, and what you can do to make the most of your retirement!