I'm sure you've seen these teaser links on the internet that sometimes can be too irresistible to ignore. They have catchy titles like "20 celebrities who have a secret past" or "10 common foods that will kill you." This is called "clickbait." Essentially, it's a form of false advertisement designed to entice people to follow a link to read or view some content that is disingenuous at best and totally misleading at worst.

Well, here are a couple examples of Social Security clickbait I saw online just this morning: "Three Social Security secrets no one knows" and "The secret to how you are losing out on $3.4 trillion in Social Security."

Do you notice a common theme? The key word is "secret." I guess secrets sell. But when it comes to Social Security, there really aren't any secrets. There might be some information of which you are not yet aware. But all of that information is readily available, from places like the Social Security Administration website (www.socialsecurity.gov), a local financial planner or from reading this column.

And frequently, the so-called secrets are just bits of information with which most people are already familiar. For example, here are those "three Social Security secrets no one knows." One: Your benefits are reduced if you take them before full retirement age. Two: Your benefits are increased if you delay filing until after your full retirement age. Three: There is no point in delaying benefits beyond age 70.

The reduction for early retirement is pretty straightforward and relatively modest. It is roughly one-half of 1% for each month a Social Security check is taken before full retirement age. But here is an interesting and revealing point. The clickbait site says your benefit is "slashed" if taken early.

The site also says you get a "generous" increase if you delay your benefits until after your full retirement age. The delayed retirement credit you get is actually two-thirds of 1% for each month you wait after FRA.

And why do these clickbait sites exaggerate the downside to early retirement and overplay the upsides to delayed retirement? Because almost all of them have one goal: to get you to wait until age 70 to start your Social Security.

To illustrate this further, let's recall that other clickbait come on — "The secret to how you are losing out on $3.4 trillion in Social Security." Well, the author of that website used some very dubious math to figure out that all retiring baby boomers in this country will be losing out on combined benefits of $3.4 trillion if they don't wait until age 70 to start their Social Security checks.

So I guess my wife and I have missed out on part of that $3.4 trillion because we both took our Social Security benefits at 62. I've discussed our reasons for doing this many times in this column. We decided to grab our benefits early because we wanted to have fun spending that money before we got too old to enjoy it.

I understand that Social Security clickbait bloggers and almost every financial planner in this country would say that we were fools for starting our benefits so early. But here's the deal. We don't care. We made our decision. We are happy with it. And we won't worry one little whit if, in the long run, maybe by our mid-80s, we come out on the short end of the Social Security stick. We're just having too much fun spending our reduced Social Security benefits now!

However, as I've said over and over again: People should NOT take my advice on this issue. And that's because I am not a financial planner. I'm an old retired Social Security guy. I know Social Security rules inside and out. And I can explain them to you. So, listen to everything I say when I'm discussing how Social Security works.

But when I am telling you what my wife and I did with respect to our own Social Security benefits, bear in mind that I am just another guy deciding what is best for me personally. I cannot and should not be telling you what to do. There are plenty of people out there willing to help you with that decision. And part of the reason for today's column is to suggest you get advice from someone you trust. Don't rely on clickbait.

And speaking of people you might trust, I hear from readers all the time on this subject. In fact, just this last week or so, I received two rather passionate emails arguing diametrically opposite viewpoints. One made the point that you would be wise to wait until age 70 before starting your benefits. His arguments sounded very reasonable to me.

But the other guy argued just as passionately that you should take your benefits at 62 (assuming you are already retired). He cited many reasons why that makes the most sense. His arguments also sounded very reasonable to me.

Obviously, there are many factors to take into account when deciding at which age to begin your Social Security benefits. Do you think you will live to a ripe old age and will want more benefits in the long run? Wait until age 70. Are you unsure of your longevity and are looking for more cash up front? Take Social Security before then. Are you trying to guarantee higher survivor benefits for your spouse after you die? Wait until age 70. Do you and your spouse prefer to have more of that money in your early 60s as opposed to just one of you having more money later on? File at age 62. Are you the frugal type who worries about every nickel you have now and might have in the future? Wait until 70 to start your Social Security. Or are you like me: the "eat, drink and be merry" type? File early.

Whatever you do, here is one bit of advice that I think you should take to heart. Gather all the facts, consider all the possibilities (including tax implications, by the way), and make the best decision you can. And then, as my wife and I are doing, enjoy the rest of your life!

If you have a Social Security question, Tom Margenau has the answer. Contact him at thomas.margenau@comcast.net. To find out more about Tom Margenau and to read past columns and see features from other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com.