20 CFR § 404.242 - Use of old-start primary insurance amount as guaranteed alternative.
---
identifier: "/us/cfr/t20/s404.242"
source: "ecfr"
legal_status: "authoritative_unofficial"
title: "20 CFR § 404.242 - Use of old-start primary insurance amount as guaranteed alternative."
title_number: 20
title_name: "Employees' Benefits"
section_number: "404.242"
section_name: "Use of old-start primary insurance amount as guaranteed alternative."
chapter_name: "SOCIAL SECURITY ADMINISTRATION"
part_number: "404"
part_name: "FEDERAL OLD-AGE, SURVIVORS AND DISABILITY INSURANCE (1950- )"
positive_law: false
currency: "2026-04-05"
last_updated: "2026-04-05"
format_version: "1.1.0"
generator: "[email protected]"
cfr_part: "404"
---
# 404.242 Use of old-start primary insurance amount as guaranteed alternative.
If your primary insurance amount as computed under the old-start method is higher than your primary insurance amount computed under the average-monthly-wage method, your old-start primary insurance amount will serve as the guaranteed alternative to your primary insurance amount computed under the average-indexed-monthly-earnings method, as described in § 404.230. However, earnings that you have in or after the year you reach age 62, or become disabled or die before age 62 are not used in an old-start computation in this situation.