# "Break-Even" Age on Social Security benefits?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/break-even-age-on-social-security-benefits/344658>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [February 15, 2006, 5:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/break-even-age-on-social-security-benefits/344658 "2006-02-15T17:52:12Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 1\
**Page:** 2

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**Author:** ![robby](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robby/32/11048_2.png) [@robby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/robby)\
**Post date:** [February 16, 2006, 9:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/break-even-age-on-social-security-benefits/344658/21 "2006-02-16T21:25:53Z")

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> [@19ForMe](#):
>
> Right. But remember, the amount paid in has not be steady. He didn’t pay in $1000 per year for 46 years. In the Social Security world, the early years had really low rates of tax / contribution. In 1940, you might pay 2% of the first $3,000. By my calculations, our worker didn’t personally pay more than $100 in a year until 1959. In fact, over half the total paid into the system happened in the last seven years of work (1980 through 1986).

Good point. :smack: I need to stay out of financial discussions.

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