Social Security
Social Security
When Should I Start Social Security?
One of the must-answer questions for anyone retiring is when to start Social Security. For most people, this is between ages 62-70 and the longer they wait, the larger the check.
For someone who is or was married, the list of questions is more complicated:
- Which spouse should claim first and when?
- Does either spouse qualify for a spousal benefit (i.e. 50% of the higher wage earners Social Security check)?
- If you are divorced or a widow(er), who’s benefit are you eligible for and when?
- If you retire and delay Social Security, is it worthwhile to spend investments for a higher Social Security check later or start a smaller Social Security check to preserve investments?
Most of these questions can be answered the same way – it depends.

Identifying Strategies
For a married couple, there can be hundreds of claiming strategies to analyze.

Analyzing Results
The optimal strategy for you depends on various factors including longevity, income needs, part time retirement wages, investments, debt, and more.

Impacting Net Worth
The timing of Social Security can also impact net worth.
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