You work hard your entire life. You pay your taxes and do what you are supposed to so that you can retire and enjoy the world around you. While you might not realize it, there are certain things that you might be doing now that could end up costing you big time when it comes to receiving your Social-Security-benefit payments down the road. To help ensure you get the maximum amount of benefits for your Social Security payment, avoid making one of these mistakes. 

Not working for long enough.

Social Security uses 35 years of earnings to determine how much money you are going to make. When you work for 25 years and retire, they will average 25 years of earnings with 10 years of no earnings to calculate your average salary per year. For example, if you earned $20,000 for 25 years, your average would be $500,000 divided by 35 years, or $14,285 annually. See how your yearly income dropped? This means your Social Security payments are going to be less than what they would have if you had worked all 35 years.

Signing up quicker than you should.

Sure, it is quite tempting to go out there and sign up for Social Security the minute you turn 62, but that doesn't mean it is in your best interest to do so. Your decision to sign up for benefits isn't one that you should take lightly. Your monthly payments will end up being less if you sign up at 62 than what they would be if you were to wait until you turned 70, for example. Once you have signed up and started receiving checks, your benefits are going to be reduced for the rest of your life. If at all possible, wait as long as you can.

Not coordinating benefits with your spouse.

Spouses can receive as much as half of what the higher party earns for Social Security. Both of you need to sign up for benefits at the same time to make sure you get the most you can. Since you aren't claiming the benefits under your own earnings, you will still be eligible to up your payment when you reach full retirement age. In the meantime, you can still enjoy half of your spouse's benefit while waiting a  few more years to collect them under your own earnings.

By paying attention to some of the specifics surrounding Social Security, you can make sure you get the benefits you deserve right from the start. When all else fails, you can always turn to a trusted attorney (such as one from Espy Metcalf & Espy PC At Law) to help you fight your case.