Just to add one important point: If your own retirement benefit at FRA would be higher than the spousal benefit (50% of your husband's), then the timing of when you take your own benefit is the most critical factor. Based on average benefit amounts, if your career earnings were similar to your husband's, your own benefit is likely higher than what you'd get as a spouse. If you can afford to wait until at least your FRA (67), that's often the optimal choice unless you have health concerns. Claiming at 62 means a permanent 30% reduction that affects you for the rest of your life. The breakeven point is typically around age 78-80 - if you expect to live beyond that, waiting usually provides more lifetime benefits. The SSA publication that explains all this in detail is 'When to Start Receiving Retirement Benefits' (05-10147) and specifically for the spousal benefit questions, see 'Benefits For Your Spouse' (05-10035).

As someone who works with Social Security claims regularly, I want to emphasize that this is exactly the kind of decision where getting official SSA guidance is crucial. The rules around early filing and spousal benefits are complex, and the reduction factors can vary based on your specific birth year and exact filing dates. One key point that hasn't been fully addressed: if you're considering the spousal benefit route, remember that your husband must actually file for his benefits before you can claim spousal benefits. So the timing becomes a coordination between both of your filing decisions, not just yours alone. I'd strongly recommend using the SSA's online retirement estimator tool at ssa.gov/benefits/retirement/estimator.html - it will show you personalized projections based on your actual earnings record. You can model different claiming scenarios to see the dollar impact over time. Also, don't forget that if you're still working, the earnings test might reduce your benefits if you claim before your FRA and earn above certain thresholds ($22,320 for 2024). This is another factor that could influence your optimal timing. Given the complexity and the long-term financial impact, consider getting a second opinion from a fee-only financial planner who specializes in Social Security optimization, not just general financial advice.

One more important point that hasn't been mentioned: Even if you do exceed your individual earnings limit, the $1 for every $2 reduction isn't as bad as it sounds. Here's why: 1. If you earn $25,400 (which is $2,000 over the $23,400 limit), they would only withhold $1,000 for the year. 2. SSA doesn't take a little from each check - they typically withhold full months of benefits at the beginning of the year until they've satisfied the withholding amount. 3. Most importantly, these aren't permanent reductions. When you reach your Full Retirement Age, SSA will recalculate your benefit and give you credit for the months they withheld, which increases your monthly payment going forward.

Just wanted to add one more reassurance for you - I went through this exact situation when I retired at 62 in 2021. My husband continued working and earning over $100K, and it had zero impact on my Social Security benefits. The earnings test is truly individual-only. One tip though: keep good records of YOUR earnings throughout the year. SSA uses estimated earnings when they set up your benefits, but they do an annual reconciliation. If you earn less than expected, you might get a refund or higher payments the following year. If you earn more, you might owe them back some benefits. But again, this is all based solely on what YOU earn, not your spouse. Good luck with your retirement planning!

I want to add one more technical point: When we talk about the "spousal benefit being 50% of your husband's benefit," it's actually 50% of his Primary Insurance Amount (PIA), which is the benefit he would receive at his Full Retirement Age. If your husband claimed early and took a reduced benefit, your spousal benefit is still based on 50% of his PIA, not 50% of his reduced benefit. Similarly, if he delayed and gets more than his PIA, your spousal benefit is still based on his PIA, not his increased benefit. This is a common source of confusion that might be contributing to your disagreement.

I work for Social Security (not giving official advice, just sharing general info) and can confirm you are 100% correct! Your husband's benefit is completely independent of what you choose to do with yours. The spousal benefit exists specifically to help couples where one spouse has a lower earnings record, and it was designed so the higher earner doesn't get penalized. Think of it this way - if claiming spousal benefits reduced the primary worker's benefit, it would actually discourage marriage and hurt families, which is the opposite of what the program is supposed to do. Your husband might be thinking of some other program or maybe heard misinformation somewhere, but for regular Social Security retirement benefits, his payment stays exactly the same whether you claim on your own record or his. Show him Publication 05-10084 "What Every Woman Should Know About Social Security" - it explains this clearly on page 7. Good luck convincing him! Sometimes it takes seeing it in writing from multiple sources.

My brother works at SSA and he always tells people to max out the higher earner's benefit by waiting till 70 exactly for this reason!!! The survivor benefit includes all those delayed retirement credits. Its like getting insurance for the lower earning spouse. Smart that ur thinking about this now!!

Thank you all for the helpful responses! This clarifies things a lot. It sounds like the best strategy is definitely for my husband to delay until 70 to maximize what I might receive as a survivor benefit later on. I'm also going to look into that service that was mentioned for when the time comes to actually deal with SSA. The stories about the difficulties getting through to them and getting the correct benefit calculated are concerning. One last question - does anyone know if there's a good way to estimate exactly what the survivor benefit would be? Is there a calculation tool on the SSA website I could use?

Welcome to the community! I'm also relatively new here but have found this thread incredibly valuable. Your remarriage question is really important - from my understanding, your children's benefits should continue unaffected since they're based on your work record, not your new spouse's. The family maximum calculation stays the same too. However, one thing to watch out for is if your new spouse adopts your children or if you adopt their children - that could potentially change how benefits are calculated since it might affect who's eligible under which parent's record. But for straightforward remarriage where the kids remain your biological children and aren't adopted by the new spouse, their benefits should continue as normal. I'd echo the advice about using Claimyr to get through to SSA - it really does work! When you call, definitely ask about remarriage scenarios specific to your situation. They can walk through exactly how it would work with your actual numbers. This community has been such a lifesaver for understanding these complex rules. The SSA website is so confusing, but hearing real experiences from people like Connor who got actual numbers makes everything much clearer. Good luck with your planning!

Welcome to everyone who's new to the community! This thread has been incredibly helpful - it's exactly why I love this forum. Getting real-world examples like Connor's actual SSA numbers is so much more valuable than trying to decipher the generic information on government websites. I wanted to add one more piece of information that might be helpful for those planning their filing strategy: don't forget about the earnings test if you're filing for early retirement but still working. If you earn over the annual limit (around $22,320 in 2024), they'll reduce your benefits by $1 for every $2 you earn above the limit. This doesn't affect the children's benefits directly, but it can impact your own benefit amount. Also, for those asking about getting through to SSA - I second the recommendations about Claimyr, but another tip is to call right when they open at 7 AM local time. I've had better luck getting through during the first hour they're open rather than later in the day. The discussion about early filing potentially making sense with multiple young children is really eye-opening. It's one of those situations where the conventional wisdom about waiting until FRA might not apply when you factor in the family benefits timeline. Great point about having the money when you need it most for school expenses and activities!