This has been such an enlightening discussion to follow! Oliver, your journey from initial uncertainty to finding that hybrid approach really shows how valuable it is to think through all the angles beyond just the basic dollar amounts. As someone approaching my own Social Security decisions in a few years, I'm taking notes on so many of the factors people have raised here - the survivor benefits impact, healthcare transition costs, tax implications, the earnings test rules, and especially that psychological adjustment period Jackie mentioned. It's clear there's no one-size-fits-all answer, but your methodical approach of weighing immediate health benefits against long-term financial security (and your wife's future needs) seems really sound. The fact that you can separate retiring from claiming benefits gives you the best of both worlds. Thanks to everyone who shared their real experiences - it's so much more helpful than generic advice. Wishing you all the best with your transition, Oliver!

Oliver, what a fantastic thread you've started! As someone who just went through this exact decision at 65 (my FRA was 66 and 8 months), I wanted to share my experience. I was in a similar boat - stressed job, decent health but not great, and a wife depending on survivor benefits. I ultimately chose the hybrid approach you're considering: retired from my demanding job but delayed claiming SS until FRA. Here's what I learned: 1) The stress relief was immediate and profound - my doctor was amazed at how quickly my blood pressure improved, 2) I did some freelance work (staying well under the earnings limit) which kept me mentally engaged without the corporate stress, 3) Those extra months of delayed retirement credits really do add up over time, especially when you factor in COLAs, and 4) My wife has tremendous peace of mind knowing I maximized her future survivor benefit. The transition period gave me time to adjust to retirement identity and figure out what I actually wanted to do with my time. The only challenge was managing healthcare costs during the gap, but COBRA worked out fine for us. Your plan sounds incredibly well-thought-out - you're prioritizing both your immediate wellbeing and long-term financial security. Trust your instincts!

I just went through this process last month and ended up doing a combination approach that worked really well. I started by creating my Social Security account online to review my earnings record first (as Jace suggested - great advice!). Found one missing year from a small employer in the 90s. I then called the SSA to get that earnings issue resolved before applying. Used that Claimyr service someone mentioned - definitely worth the small fee to avoid hours on hold. The agent was super helpful and got my earnings record corrected within a week. Finally, I completed my application online once everything was clean. The whole process from start to finish took about 3 weeks, and I felt confident everything was accurate. For someone in your situation, I'd recommend checking your earnings record first online, then deciding if you need to call with questions before applying. The online application really is straightforward if you don't have any complicated issues to resolve first.

I just completed my Social Security application process two months ago and wanted to share my experience. I initially planned to apply online but got nervous about making mistakes, so I ended up scheduling an in-person appointment at my local field office. The appointment was scheduled about 5 weeks out, which wasn't as bad as I expected. The representative was incredibly thorough and caught two issues I wouldn't have noticed: some missing quarters from a part-time job in the 80s and helped me understand how my pension from my teaching job would interact with my Social Security benefits. The whole appointment took about an hour, and she walked me through every section of the application. I left feeling completely confident that everything was accurate. My benefits were approved and started exactly when expected. For someone with a "standard" situation like you described, online is probably fine. But if you have ANY doubt about your work history, pension interactions, or just want the peace of mind of having an expert review everything, the in-person route is worth the wait. You're making a decision that affects the rest of your retirement - better to get it right the first time!

As someone new to this community who's been following this incredibly helpful thread, I wanted to add my voice of thanks! I'm about 6 months away from applying for my Social Security retirement benefits and had been putting off even researching the process because I was so intimidated by the potential complexity. Diego, your detailed sharing of the entire experience - from that initial panic about the signature confusion to your successful acknowledgment letter - has been exactly what I needed to see. It's so rare to get the complete story with follow-up, and that makes all the difference for those of us preparing to go through this ourselves. The explanations from experienced members about the E-Sign Act and how electronic signatures work for federal applications have been genuinely educational. I had no clue that my digital submission would carry the same legal weight as a physical signature under penalty of perjury. That context really helps eliminate the mystery around the process. It's honestly mind-boggling that SSA's system continues to generate such confusing messages that cause unnecessary stress for so many applicants, but communities like this are invaluable for cutting through that confusion with real-world experiences. This thread has transformed my anxiety about the application process into confidence that I can handle it when the time comes. Thank you all for creating such a supportive environment for sharing knowledge!

As a newcomer to this community, I just wanted to say how incredibly valuable this thread has been! I'm planning to apply for Social Security retirement benefits in the next couple of months and was already feeling pretty anxious about the whole process - especially after hearing horror stories from friends about government paperwork nightmares. Diego, thank you so much for not only sharing your initial confusion about that misleading signature message, but also for following up with the positive outcome. That kind of complete transparency about the entire experience is exactly what newcomers like me need to see. It really helps to know the full story from start to finish rather than just the initial panic! The detailed explanations from experienced community members about the E-Sign Act and how electronic signatures work for federal applications have been genuinely eye-opening. I had no idea that digital submissions carried the same legal weight as physical signatures under penalty of perjury - that context completely changes how I understand the online application process. It's really frustrating that SSA's system continues to generate such confusing and misleading messages that cause unnecessary stress for applicants, but having access to a supportive community like this where people share real experiences makes navigating these government processes so much less intimidating. This thread has definitely boosted my confidence about tackling my own application when the time comes. Thanks to everyone who contributed their knowledge and experiences here!

One final recommendation - when you make the appointment for your wife, specifically ask for someone who specializes in non-citizen benefit claims. Not all SSA representatives are equally familiar with these rules, and seeing a specialist can save you a lot of time and confusion. Also, if your wife has ever used other names (maiden name, different spellings, etc.), bring documentation showing the name progression. SSA needs to establish a clear identity trail.

Just wanted to add one more thing about timing - since you're turning 67 next month, make sure you apply for your benefits in the month you turn 67 or the month before to avoid any delays in payments. Social Security doesn't pay retroactively beyond 6 months, so timing matters! For your wife's spousal benefits, she can't receive them until you're actually receiving your retirement benefits, so her application timing should be coordinated with when your payments start. The SSA office will help coordinate this during her appointment. Also, if she's currently working and earning income, there might be earnings limits to consider for spousal benefits if she's under her full retirement age. But given the 20+ year marriage and her permanent resident status, you're both in a good position for this to work out smoothly once you get through the appointment process. Good luck with everything - retirement benefits can seem overwhelming but you're asking all the right questions!

I went through this exact process with my husband about 8 months ago and can share our experience. We both applied online simultaneously - I was 67 and applying for retirement benefits, and he was 65 applying for spousal benefits. The process was actually much smoother than I expected! A few things that really helped us: First, we spent about a week beforehand gathering all our documents and scanning them so we'd have digital copies ready to upload. Second, we did both applications on the same day but took turns using the computer so we could help each other through any confusing parts. The key thing to know is that even though you submit at the same time, your wife's spousal benefit application will show as "pending" until yours is fully approved. Don't panic when you see that status - it's completely normal. My husband's application stayed pending for about 3 weeks until mine was approved, then his was processed within a few days after that. One tip: when you get to the section about your wife applying for benefits, make sure she's sitting right there with you because she'll need to answer some questions and digitally sign her portion. You can't complete her application for her, even as her spouse. The whole thing took us about 45 minutes each, and we avoided the office completely. Definitely worth doing online if you're comfortable with computers!

This thread has been incredibly helpful! I'm in a very similar situation - I'll be 67 next month and my wife is 66, so we're both at FRA. Reading through everyone's experiences, it sounds like applying online simultaneously is definitely the way to go. I have one specific question that I haven't seen addressed yet: For the direct deposit setup, do we each need to provide our own bank account information, or can we use the same joint account for both of our benefit payments? We've had a joint checking account for years and would prefer to have everything deposited there, but I want to make sure SSA allows that arrangement. Also, thank you to everyone who mentioned the importance of checking earnings records first - I just logged into my Social Security account and found a discrepancy from 1987 that I need to get corrected before we apply. Better to catch these things early! One more question if anyone knows: If we apply in early April for benefits to start in May, roughly how long should we expect before we see our first payments? I'm trying to plan our transition from employer health insurance to Medicare.