James Mahaney social security advice is gaining renewed attention in 2026 as his latest research examines how delaying Social Security can create larger lifetime income and stronger protection against inflation. Mahaney, a CFP® and founder of Mavericus Retirement Services, recently published research examining the effect of annual cost-of-living adjustments on people who delay benefits to age 70. His work continues to emphasize Social Security as a major source of dependable retirement income rather than simply a benefit to claim as soon as possible.
Who Is James Mahaney?
James Mahaney is a retirement-income researcher and financial planner whose work has focused heavily on Social Security claiming strategies, retirement income, taxes and longevity risk.
Mahaney is currently associated with Mavericus Retirement Services, where he provides advice-only retirement planning for do-it-yourself investors. The firm says its planning work includes Social Security timing, retirement income, tax planning, Medicare and investment decisions.
His background in Social Security planning goes back many years. Mahaney previously worked with Prudential and became known for research examining how retirees could coordinate Social Security with 401(k) and IRA assets.
His earlier research with Peter C. Carlson examined the financial effects of delaying Social Security. That work considered taxes, survivor benefits, inflation, spousal benefits and retirement savings rather than looking only at the size of the first monthly check.
Mahaney’s current research continues that approach.
Mahaney’s Latest Social Security Research in 2026
Mahaney’s most recent Social Security paper is titled The Hidden Optionality of Social Security: Why Waiting to See Each Year’s COLA Can Pay Off. The paper was written in June 2026 and posted to SSRN in July, with a revised version dated July 29, 2026.
The central idea is important for retirees considering when to claim benefits.
Social Security benefits receive annual cost-of-living adjustments. When someone delays claiming, those future COLAs apply to a larger benefit base once the person begins collecting.
Mahaney’s research uses a stylized example involving two retirees born in 1954. Both have a $3,000 primary insurance amount, but one claims at 62 while the other waits until 70. The analysis then tracks actual Social Security COLAs from 2017 through 2026.
The research highlights the unusually large 5.9% COLA in 2022 and 8.7% COLA in 2023. Those increases permanently raised the benefit base for people already receiving Social Security.
Mahaney argues that delaying benefits can allow future inflation adjustments to compound on a substantially higher starting benefit.
Why Mahaney Emphasizes Waiting Until 70
Social Security allows eligible workers to begin retirement benefits as early as age 62. However, claiming before full retirement age permanently reduces the monthly retirement benefit.
For people born in 1960 or later, full retirement age is 67. If they wait beyond full retirement age, their retirement benefit increases until age 70. The increase stops at age 70.
For workers born in 1943 or later, delayed retirement credits can increase benefits by 8% for each full year of delay after full retirement age, up to age 70.
That makes the decision about claiming age especially important.
A retiree who claims at 62 generally receives a smaller monthly benefit for life. A retiree who waits can receive larger monthly payments later.
Mahaney’s research goes a step further by examining how inflation adjustments affect those different benefit levels over time.
The 2026 Social Security Numbers Behind the Strategy
The Social Security Administration’s current figures show why claiming age can make a substantial difference.
For a hypothetical worker who earned the taxable maximum throughout a career beginning at age 22 and claims in 2026, the maximum retirement benefit is:
- $2,969 per month at age 62
- $4,152 per month at full retirement age
- $5,181 per month at age 70
These are maximum examples. Most workers receive less because their benefits depend on their actual earnings records.
The figures illustrate the basic principle behind Mahaney’s research. Waiting can produce a significantly larger monthly Social Security benefit.
However, delaying is not automatically the right choice for every person. A retiree’s health, cash needs, marital situation, savings and expected longevity can all affect the decision.
Mahaney’s Focus on Social Security and COLAs
One of the most important points in Mahaney’s 2026 research is that the COLA is not simply a one-time increase.
Each annual adjustment becomes part of the benefit amount used for future adjustments.
That creates an important difference between receiving a smaller benefit early and receiving a larger benefit later. A larger benefit provides a larger dollar increase when the next COLA is applied.
The latest official COLA is 2.8% for 2026. The increase applies to Social Security benefits beginning with payments made in January 2026.
Mahaney’s research points to the long-term significance of that mechanism. His analysis found that the difference created by the higher starting benefit can become increasingly meaningful as future COLAs are applied.
This is one reason his latest work describes waiting as having an “option” value. A person who has not yet claimed can continue evaluating the situation before age 70, while the delayed benefit continues moving toward its maximum under current rules.
The Social Security Advice for Higher Earners
Mahaney has repeatedly focused on higher earners when discussing delayed Social Security.
His retirement-income approach recognizes that the higher earner’s benefit can become particularly important for a married couple. If the higher earner dies first, the surviving spouse may qualify for a survivor benefit based on the deceased worker’s benefit.
That makes the higher earner’s claiming decision more than an individual calculation.
Mahaney has previously argued that married couples should consider delaying the higher earner’s Social Security when their financial circumstances and health make that practical. The objective is to create a larger income stream later in retirement and potentially a stronger survivor benefit.
This does not mean every married couple should automatically use the same claiming age.
The appropriate strategy depends on each household’s circumstances. Mahaney’s broader work stresses coordinated retirement-income planning rather than treating Social Security as an isolated decision.
Using Retirement Savings as a Bridge
Another recurring theme in Mahaney’s Social Security work is the use of personal retirement savings as a bridge.
Someone who retires before age 70 may have money in a 401(k), IRA or other retirement account. Instead of immediately claiming Social Security, that person may use some retirement assets to provide income while delaying Social Security.
The concept allows a retiree to exchange some earlier withdrawals for a larger Social Security benefit later.
Mahaney’s earlier research specifically examined strategies that use personal retirement resources before claiming larger Social Security benefits.
His current retirement-planning practice continues to include Social Security timing as part of broader retirement-income analysis.
This approach is particularly relevant for people who have enough savings to cover expenses during the years between retirement and age 70.
Mahaney’s New 2026 Tax Strategy Research
Mahaney has also expanded his current research into the relationship between Social Security and retirement taxes.
In August 2026, he published Improving Retirement Security By Disarming the Tax Torpedo. The paper examines how Social Security benefits interact with other retirement income under the federal provisional-income rules.
The tax issue matters because Social Security benefits can become partly taxable when a retiree’s other income rises.
Mahaney’s research examines whether retirees can improve after-tax retirement income by coordinating Social Security claiming with withdrawals from traditional retirement accounts.
His analysis specifically considers delaying Social Security to age 70 while using retirement assets during the earlier years. It also examines Roth conversions and required minimum distributions under 2026 rules.
The important takeaway is that the largest Social Security check is not necessarily the only objective.
Retirees should also consider how their Social Security benefit interacts with taxable withdrawals, Medicare costs and other income sources.
What the 2026 Social Security COLA Means for Mahaney’s Strategy
The 2026 COLA is 2.8%, which means Social Security benefits are currently higher than they were before the adjustment.
The average monthly benefit for retired workers was estimated at $2,071 after the 2026 COLA, up from $2,015 before the adjustment.
Mahaney’s latest research does not argue that retirees can predict future COLAs. Instead, it examines what happens when COLAs are applied over time to different starting benefit levels.
That distinction matters.
Future COLAs are unknown. The Social Security Administration announces the official annual adjustment based on the statutory formula. Therefore, no retiree should treat an assumed future COLA as guaranteed.
The confirmed 2026 COLA is 2.8%. Future adjustments remain dependent on inflation and the applicable statutory calculation.
Social Security’s Financial Outlook Is Another Planning Consideration
The latest Social Security Trustees Report also provides important context for retirement planning.
The 2026 report projects that the combined Social Security trust funds will have sufficient reserves to pay scheduled benefits in full and on time through 2034 under the report’s intermediate assumptions. After reserve depletion, continuing income would be sufficient to pay about 83% of scheduled combined benefits.
That projection does not change the current rules for an individual deciding when to claim benefits.
It does show why Social Security planning remains an important retirement issue. Future legislation could change the program’s financing or benefits, but current law remains the basis for today’s official benefit calculations.
Mahaney’s research similarly evaluates Social Security under the rules and economic conditions being considered rather than relying on hypothetical legislative changes.
What Readers Should Take From James Mahaney’s Social Security Advice
The central message across Mahaney’s work is that Social Security should be viewed as part of a lifetime retirement-income strategy.
His research emphasizes several key considerations:
- Claiming age matters. Starting early produces benefits sooner but generally means smaller monthly payments.
- Waiting can increase lifetime income. Delayed retirement credits can substantially raise benefits through age 70.
- COLAs matter over long retirements. Future percentage increases apply to the existing benefit amount.
- The higher earner can be especially important for married couples. A larger benefit may also affect the survivor’s future income.
- Retirement savings can potentially bridge the gap. Some retirees may use 401(k) or IRA assets while delaying Social Security.
- Taxes should be considered. Social Security interacts with other retirement income and can affect the amount of benefits subject to federal income tax.
- Age 70 is the end of delayed retirement credits. Social Security retirement benefits do not increase further from delaying beyond age 70.
Mahaney’s approach does not amount to a universal instruction for everyone to wait until 70. Instead, his research provides a framework for understanding why the larger later benefit can be valuable, particularly for people with adequate resources to cover expenses while waiting.
Bottom Line on James Mahaney Social Security Advice
James Mahaney’s latest 2026 research puts renewed emphasis on the long-term value of delaying Social Security rather than focusing only on the first payment. His work highlights delayed retirement credits, annual COLAs, survivor protection and tax planning as connected parts of a retirement-income strategy.
The current Social Security rules confirm that benefits can be claimed as early as 62, increase with delayed retirement credits after full retirement age, and stop increasing from delayed credits at 70.
For retirees with enough savings to meet expenses while waiting, Mahaney’s research offers a strong reason to examine the financial value of delay carefully. The decision, however, should be based on the individual’s earnings record, health, household circumstances, retirement assets and tax situation.
What do you think about James Mahaney’s Social Security strategy of prioritizing a larger benefit later—share your thoughts and stay tuned for the latest verified retirement updates.