When to claim
Age 62 vs Full Retirement Age vs 70 — each year of delay raises your monthly benefit ~6-8%. The math depends on your health, spouse's age, and other income.
The other half of retirement income — get the timing right
Social Security — when to claim and how much you actually get.
Most people get one shot at the Social Security claiming decision and get it wrong by tens of thousands of dollars over a retirement. The difference between claiming at 62, 67 (full retirement age), or 70 isn't just monthly benefit size — it interacts with spousal benefits, taxation, IRMAA, and continued earnings. We walk through every decision with the math.
The three decisions that matter most
Spousal & survivor benefits
Married couples can coordinate claiming to maximize lifetime household benefit. Survivor benefits replace the larger of the two spouses' amounts — claiming choice affects what your spouse gets if you die first.
Taxation & IRMAA
Up to 85% of SS can be taxable depending on combined income. IRMAA on Medicare uses the same MAGI that includes SS. Coordinated planning across SS, retirement withdrawals, and Medicare is the difference between owing taxes and not.
Claiming age
When to claim Social Security
Three core ages: 62 (earliest), Full Retirement Age (66-67 depending on birth year), 70 (latest). The math behind each.
Spousal & survivor
Spousal, divorced-spouse, and survivor benefits
Married, widowed, and divorced retirees have additional levers. Most people don't know they're entitled to these.
Taxation
How Social Security is taxed
Up to 85% of your benefits can be subject to federal income tax. State taxation varies — some states exempt SS, others don't.
SS as an expat
Social Security if you live abroad
You can collect SS in most countries. There are exceptions and tax implications.