Extended working lives are common in the U.S., but retirement and Social Security benefits don't always align. A study looked at different groups of people aged 54 and older to see how they retired and received Social Security. They found four main groups: 1) delayed retirement and Social Security, 2) early Social Security but returning to work later, 3) delayed retirement but early Social Security, and 4) retiring and getting Social Security at the same time. Group 2, with lower health, education, and income, faced challenges in retirement. They retired and got Social Security earlier but ended up retiring at an older age after going back to work. This shows that for some people, Social Security alone may not be enough for retirement.