Q. I am in the Federal Employees Retirement System and will retire Dec. 31. I will be 62 when I retire, with 41 years of service. Because Social Security is part of my retirement, will my Social Security checks be reduced if I work and earn more than the max allowed?
A. Yes. Your Social Security benefit would be reduced by $1 for every $2 you earn through wages or self-employment until the year in which you reach your full retirement age. At that point, the reduction would be $1 for every $3 you earn. There is no limit to the amount you can earn starting with the month in which you reach full retirement age. Note: The earnings limit is $14,160 in 2011. It will be $14,640 in 2012.
