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The week's question
In December 2024, in the thread "Re: BRK: Why Not XOM?", BreckHutHigh asked the members: "What about the long road trips with kids?" This week it is put to everyone again. The button below opens the small thread re-asking it - read what others have said so far, then give your own answer as an ordinary reply.
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Personal Finance / Retirement Investing
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Author: AdrianC ⎊✹  😊 😞
Number: of 1281 
Subject: Re: The 90% rule for Social Security
Date: 09/09/26 10:41 AM
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<< I have 30+ years above the fica limit. MrsC has 15.
If I understand correctly, it will advantage us the most if I delay to 70 and she takes at 62. >>

It depends on your wife's income. If she has 15 years of max-FICA earnings, it may well be more advantageous to claim SS on her own record. The 50% spousal benefit is more of a gift to low wage earners.

Hers taken at the same age is more than half mine. I'm referencing the survival benefit - when I'm gone, she gets hers or mine, the higher of the two. So the optimum strategy is I delay mine to 70 (currently $5000/mo), she takes hers at 62 (currently $1800/mo).

The Kitces article Skyesix posted explains.

Which means ultimately, the ideal strategy for most couples is for the higher-earning spouse to delay as long as possible (which benefits them as long as either remain alive) but to start the lower-earning spouse’s benefits as early as possible, as delaying both is only beneficial in the less likely scenario that both of them remain alive into their 90s and beyond!

kitces.com - Why it rarely pays for both spouses to delay social security benefits

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