Primary Insurance Amount
Certified Financial Planner glossary · Certified Financial Planner
Definition
The monthly Social Security benefit a worker would receive at Full Retirement Age, before early or delayed adjustments.
Primary Insurance Amount in plain English
A client delays Social Security past Full Retirement Age, then a surviving spouse asks what they would actually receive. Primary Insurance Amount is the monthly benefit the worker would get at FRA, before early claiming cuts or delayed retirement credits. Spousal benefits generally cap at half of that FRA PIA, while survivor benefits can reach 100% of what the deceased was receiving, including delayed credits. Exam stems swap those caps. Decide whether the vignette is about the worker's FRA baseline, a spousal claim, or a survivor claim before you lock a percentage.
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