Hi Larry. While using the calculator on SSA.gov, it shows my husbands estimated full retirement amount. But I see where it is saying there are no recorded wages for 2021, though he worked the entire month. All the prior years amounts are accurate.
It does have an amount they are using, (which seems accurate) for future earnings. My question, is the estimated full retirement amount accurate or is it not because it’s not showing any earnings for 2021. Thanks so much..

Hi. It's much too soon to expect anyone's 2021 earnings to be posted to their Social Security earnings history. The earnings information posted to a person's Social Security earnings history comes from W-2 forms for wages, and tax returns for self-employment earnings. So, your husband's 2021 earnings won't be posted to his Social Security earnings history until sometime after either his W-2 form(s) is issued or his 2021 tax return is received by the IRS.

Social Security generally has prior year wages posted to a person's earnings history by April or May of the year after the year of earnings, but self-employment earnings can take longer depending on when the person's files their tax return.

As for whether or not your husband's benefit estimate is accurate, that depends on his full earnings history. Social Security retirement benefits are based on an average of a person's highest 35 years of Social Security covered wage-indexed earnings, so your husband's 2021 earnings would only affect his benefit rate is that year was among his highest 35 earnings years. Also, as you mentioned, Social Security sometimes includes assumed future year earnings amounts when providing estimates, so their benefit estimates are only as accurate as those future year earnings projections turn out to be.

You and your husband may want to strongly consider using our software (https://maximizemysocialsecurity.com/purchase) to get accurate benefit estimates and to fully analyze all of your filing options so that you can determine the best overall strategy for maximizing your benefits.

Best, Jerry