Description: This report provides background on U.S. trends in the timing of retirement, the claiming of benefits behavior, including discussion of labor force participation trends, the timing of commencement of Social Security, phased retirement alternatives, work as part of retirement, and the effects of retirement plan participation on these decisions. This study evaluates several of the more common retirement timing and claiming strategies using a retirement simulation model that incorporates investment, inflation, health and long-term care risks. Results of these simulations provide insight into the comparative risk exposures and costs of various retirement timing and claiming strategies for typical retiree households.