The line graph illustrates the median financial impact of starting Social Security benefits at age 62 versus age 70. The x-axis denotes age, beginning at 60 and increasing in 5-year intervals to 100. The y-axis represents after-tax, real U.S. dollars, spanning from negative $400,000 to $400,000, with 0 at the center. A teal line representing the difference in median wealth starts at 0 at age 60, then rapidly ascends starting at age 62, peaking at approximately $315,000 around age 69. Post-peak, the line descends gradually, intersecting the 0 point at about age 88. The decline then generally continues, at an increased pace, with the difference reaching negative $296,000 by age 100. A vertical dashed line labeled “Median breakeven age” intersects the teal line at the point where it crosses the 0 mark, at about age 88. This is the age at which the cumulative wealth from both claiming strategies becomes equal. To summarize, the graph illustrates that claiming Social Security benefits at age 62 initially results in a significantly higher median wealth (over $315,000) compared to delaying until age 70. However, the long-term impact reverses at age 70, breaking even at nearly age 88, with the delayed claiming strategy ultimately surpassing the early claiming strategy in terms of total wealth accumulated (about $296,000) at age 100.