Social Security filing strategy confusion - does it matter when we file with large PIA difference?

You're actually seeing something very real in your situation. When there's a large gap between spouses' PIAs, the filing strategy often becomes less impactful on lifetime benefits than for couples with similar earnings. This happens because once your higher-earning spouse files, you become eligible for spousal benefits that can significantly exceed your own retirement benefit. The standard advice about delaying does still apply, but with important nuances in your case: 1. Survivor benefits are indeed a major consideration - if your husband delays to 70 and then passes away, you'd receive his enhanced benefit for the rest of your life. 2. The break-even analysis changes when considering spousal benefits. Your own filing age matters less when spousal benefits will eventually provide most of your income. 3. The $12,000-15,000 lifetime difference may seem small compared to your total benefits, but remember that's essentially "free money" for making a better filing choice. I'd recommend looking closely at the survivor benefit implications and your health/longevity expectations before making your decision.

my hubby and me had the same deal...big difference in our SS amounts. he had like 3200 and mine was only like 700. we ended up with him waiting till 68 and me taking mine at 62. been working fine for us but now hes sick and probably wont make it to the avg life expectancy so maybe we shouldve just both taken it early and enjoyed more $$$ while he was healthier. jus my 2 cents

The reason the calculators might show minimal differences is because they use average life expectancies. But what if one of you lives well beyond that? My mother outlived my father by 22 years! That survivor benefit would make a HUGE difference over two decades. Have you tried adjusting the life expectancy assumptions in your calculations? Also, don't forget about taxation - depending on your other income sources, different filing strategies can affect how much of your SS is taxed.

In situations like yours with a large PIA disparity, the usual advice often needs modification. Here's why the standard "high earner delays" guidance may show less impact in your calculations: 1. Spousal benefit cap: Your spousal benefit is capped at 50% of your husband's PIA (not his actual benefit). So his delay doesn't increase your spousal amount. 2. Survivor benefit growth: However, survivor benefits ARE based on his actual benefit amount including delayed retirement credits. This is probably the most important factor for your planning. 3. Actuarial equivalence: Social Security is designed to be roughly actuarially equivalent for average lifespans. The difference emerges with longevity variations. Depending on your full retirement ages and health histories, I'd likely recommend you file at 62-63 for your own benefit, then switch to spousal when your husband files. And for him to delay as long as financially comfortable to maximize potential survivor benefits. This approach optimizes both current income and future protection.

DONT TRUST THOSE CALCULATERS!!!! i used 3 different ones and got 3 TOTALLY different answers!!! the SSA one said file at 62, another said wait till 70, and the third somewhere in between. complete waste of time. just call SSA and ask them directly what's best for YOUR situation.

I was in this exact situation last year with my wife. After months of research, I discovered a factor that many calculators miss: the differential impact of COLA on benefits claimed at different times. When you delay claiming, not only do you get the 8% per year increase for delaying past FRA, but all future COLAs apply to that larger amount. Over 20-30 years of retirement, this can add up significantly, especially in higher inflation environments. One approach worth considering: have you looked at your husband filing a restricted application for just spousal benefits while allowing his own benefit to continue growing? This can work if he was born before 1954. BTW, after trying to call SSA for weeks (constant busy signals or 3+ hour waits), I finally used this service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that got me through to an agent in about 20 minutes. They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/Z-BRbJw3puU. Super helpful for getting my specific questions answered.

my sister and brother in law had almost exact same situation and they ended up with her filing at 62 and him at 67 (his FRA). seemed to work well for them but everyone's different

One more important consideration: The "best" strategy also depends on your other financial resources. If you have adequate savings/investments and don't need SS income immediately, delaying the higher earner's benefit creates valuable "longevity insurance" through the enhanced survivor benefit. But if you need the income sooner, taking benefits earlier might make sense despite the long-term mathematics. Remember that Social Security was designed as insurance, not just retirement income. Maximizing the survivor benefit is essentially buying more insurance protection for the surviving spouse, typically the woman who statistically lives longer. Would you share your and your husband's exact FRAs and whether you have other significant retirement income sources? That context would help provide more tailored guidance.

I read somewhere that for couples with big differences in their benefit amounts, there's almost ALWAYS an advantage to the lower-benefit spouse filing early and the higher-benefit spouse delaying, especially considering survivor benefits. Has anyone else seen research on this? Or is this just conventional wisdom that doesn't always hold up with actual numbers?

As someone who went through this exact decision process two years ago, I can share what we learned. My wife and I had a similar PIA gap ($850 vs $3,900), and after consulting with a fee-only financial planner who specialized in Social Security, we ended up with the "62/70 split" strategy that others have mentioned. The key insight was realizing that the break-even calculations change dramatically when you factor in the survivor benefit scenario. Yes, the lifetime benefit difference might seem small when both spouses are alive, but the protection for the surviving spouse (likely you) is substantial. We also discovered that having other retirement assets actually makes delaying MORE valuable, not less, because you can afford to let the higher benefit grow while living off savings. The enhanced survivor benefit essentially becomes a form of longevity insurance that you can't buy anywhere else. One practical tip: Get your actual benefit estimates from SSA (not calculators) and run the numbers assuming you live to 90-95, not just average life expectancy. The differences become much more meaningful over longer time horizons. Given your solid retirement savings, I'd strongly consider having your husband delay to 70 while you file at 62. The survivor benefit protection alone is probably worth it.