I’m 66 and retiring next month — but now my boss wants me to stay on to train my replacement. What do I do?

Retirement planning can be a long and complicated process, so when the time comes to hand in your notice, you’re probably counting down the days.

But what if your company has other plans for you?

In this scenario, would-be retiree Alex — who is 66 — gave his company a year’s notice, providing the exact date of his planned retirement.

But management only hired a replacement a few weeks before Alex’s retirement date — not enough time to properly train his replacement.

Now they want him to stay for two months as a part-time consultant to fully train his replacement.

Here’s what Alex should know before he makes his decision one way or the other.

If Alex opts to take on the consultancy but starts collecting his Social Security in the meantime, he could lose part or all of his benefits temporarily.

There’s a cap on how much income you can earn while collecting benefits before full retirement age. The good news is that payments are recalculated at full retirement age to account for any benefits that were held back.

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Of course, Alex could delay claiming Social Security, which would increase the benefits he ultimately receives. Each month you delay your claim from age 62 (earliest eligibility) to 70 results in a higher monthly benefit.

Delaying his claim and charging a decent consulting fee could enhance Alex’s future Social Security benefits, which are based on one’s average earnings over their 35 highest-earning years.

But as Alex is considering a short-term company gig, the boost to his benefits may not add up to much.

If he chooses to delay his retirement beyond a few months, Alex could invest more in his 401(k) or workplace pension. He could also stay on his employer-provided health insurance for longer.

In general, the longer you work and delay Social Security, the better your finances in retirement. You’ll have greater monthly benefits and can keep your retirement savings invested and earning a return for a longer period of time.