One of the most important financial questions you’ll face in retirement is when to claim Social Security. The most popular time to start getting retirement checks is right when people turn 62, which is the earliest allowable age for most workers. However, the way benefits are calculated can make it smarter to wait. You’ll find plenty of arguments on all sides of the issue, but as you’ll learn later in this article, one smart way to rise above the debate is to go back to Social Security’s original purpose as an insurance program.