Moneywise and Yahoo Finance LLC may earn commission or revenue through links in the content below.

Conventional wisdom suggests you should delay filing your Social Security for the delayed retirement credits. After all, if you wait until you're 70 years old, your monthly benefit can be 24% higher, according to the Social Security Administration (1).

But finance guru Dave Ramsey, disagrees with that conventional wisdom. According to the host, there is one specific type of American who should take their benefits as soon as possible.

Jeff Bezos backs a platform that lets anyone invest in rental homes for as little as $100 — 6 ways to build wealth like a landlord without actually being one

JPMorgan sees gold hitting $5,000/oz by Q4 — and savvy investors are protecting their wealth with a tax-advantaged Gold IRA. Get your free guide from Priority Gold

The tax breaks in Trump's 'big beautiful bill' expire after 2028. Here are 4 moves to make before the window closes

That means filing a claim as early as age 62, despite the whopping 30% benefit reduction (2) for doing so.

Are you part of this elite group? Here's a closer look.

To understand Ramsey's insistence on an early benefit claim, it's important to know that the financial guru dislikes the Social Security system. In an episode of the Iced Coffee Hour podcast he called the social safety net a "scam" and "the worst possible investment" — one driven by faulty math (3).

Simply put, Ramsey sees an early claim as a ticket out of a bad system. However, in 2019 he explained that math works only for a certain group of people (4). "It usually makes sense to take it early if you're going to … invest every bit of it," he said.

Simply put, you could consider an early claim if you can plan and manage your money better than the U.S. government.

That's a low bar, because the Social Security's finances have deteriorated in recent years and the program is facing a long-term funding shortfall. The trust funds are invested in special-issue U.S. Treasury securities, which are considered among the world's safest investments, according to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities (5).

Read More: Millionaires under 43 hold only 25% of their wealth in stocks. Here's where their money is actually going

For most investors, it's easy to outperform treasuries. A high-yield account like a Wealthfront Cash Account can be a great place to grow your uninvested cash, offering both competitive interest rates and easy access to your money when you need it.

A Wealthfront Cash Account currently offers a base APY of 3.30% through program banks and new clients can get an extra 0.75% boost during their first three months on up to $150,000 for a total variable APY of 4.05%.

That's eight times the national deposit savings rate, according to the FDIC's May report.

Additionally, Wealthfront is offering new clients who enable direct deposit ($1,000/month minimum) to their Cash Account as well as open and fund a new investment account an additional 0.25% APY increase with no expiration date or balance limit, meaning your APY could be as high as 4.30%.

With no minimum balances or account fees, as well as 24/7 withdrawals and free domestic wire transfers, your funds remain accessible at all times. Plus, you get access to up to $8 million FDIC Insurance eligibility through program banks.

Simply put, it doesn't take much to earn a higher return than the Social Security trust fund. But the decision about your claim isn't just about interest rates, it's also about planning, predictability and control.

Another options is to earn passive income through real estate.

Rental properties have long been a proven source of steady, passive income for high-net-worth investors. It's no wonder that real estate accounts for nearly 25% of the typical family office portfolio.

However, the time, effort and costs involved in managing and maintaining multiple properties prevent many from investing. So unless you're a hedge fund titan or an oil baron, you've been shut out of one of the most profitable corners of the market.

Mogul offers one way to gain access to real estate investing. This platform offers fractional ownership in blue-chip rental properties, which gives investors monthly rental income, real-time appreciation and tax benefits — without the need for a hefty down payment or 3 a.m. tenant calls.

Founded by former Goldman Sachs real estate investors, the team handpicks the top 1% of single-family rental homes nationwide for you. Simply put, you can invest in institutional-quality offerings for a fraction of the usual cost.

Each property undergoes a vetting process, requiring a minimum 12% return even in downside scenarios. Across the board, the platform features an average annual IRR of 18.8%. Their cash-on-cash yields, meanwhile, average between 10% and 12% annually. Offerings often sell out in under three hours, with investments typically ranging between $15,000 and $40,000 per property.

Every investment is secured by real assets, not dependent on the platform's viability. Each property is held in a standalone Propco LLC, so investors own the property — not the platform. Blockchain-based fractionalization adds a layer of safety, ensuring a permanent, verifiable record of each stake.

Getting started is a quick and easy process. You can sign up for an account and then browse available properties. Once you verify your information with their team, you can invest like a mogul in just a few clicks.

Social Security's future, to put it mildly, is uncertain. The underlying trust fund faces depletion in 2032, just six years away, according to the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget (6). All beneficiaries face a severe cut in monthly payouts if this deadline passes.

There are many tools lawmakers can use to avert this crisis, but the pressure is on. The number of beneficiaries taking from the program has increased steadily over the years while those paying into it have declined, according to the Peter G. Peterson Foundation (7). This tension, along with additional deduction changes made in the One Big Beautiful Bill, are part of what's driving the incoming shortfall.

For workers, an early claim could give them more control and predictability over how their money is invested. You could, for instance, take the paychecks early and invest for long-term capital appreciation that potentially offset some of the expected benefit cuts.

In fact, you can even hire an expert to help you navigate this issue. If you have a portfolio of $250,000 or more, platforms like WiserAdvisor can connect you with vetted professionals who specialize in this kind of planning.

Simply answer a few questions about your savings, retirement timeline and overall investment portfolio.

From there, WiserAdvisor reviews its network to match you — for free — with up to three vetted, reputable advisors aligned with your specific needs.

You can then schedule no-obligation consultations with your matches to determine who is the best fit for your long-term goals.

WiserAdvisor is a matching service and does not provide financial advice directly. All matched advisors are third parties, and specific financial results are not guaranteed.

Once you've got the right tax advisor by your side, you can plan and prepare for any upheaval to the national retirement safety net with more confidence.

A single line on your car insurance policy could be inflating your premium by up to 30% — here's what to change

Dave Ramsey warns nearly 50% of Americans are making 1 big Social Security mistake. Here's what it is and 3 simple steps to fix it ASAP

Robert Kiyosaki says China is 'dumping' the US as America piles on debt. Fortify your riches with 4 key assets

Here are the 7 top habits of 'quietly wealthy' Americans. How many do you follow?

Join 250,000+ readers and get Moneywise's best stories and exclusive interviews first — clear insights curated and delivered weekly. Subscribe now.

We rely only on vetted sources and credible third-party reporting. For details, see our ethics and guidelines.

Social Security Administration (1), (2); The Iced Coffee Hour (3); Newsweek (4); Center on Budget and Policy Priorities (5); Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget (6); Peter G. Peterson Foundation (7)

This article provides information only and should not be construed as advice. It is provided without warranty of any kind.