Question: My husband is three years older, and he plans to retire in two years at age 65, and I plan to retire at 62. I have had the higher income for many years. My Social Security benefit at 62 will be approximately the same as my spouse’s benefit at 65. How should we approach Social Security benefits in this situation?
Answer: You should surely file at some point before full retirement age to let your husband begin taking his full spousal benefit while waiting until 70 to collect his own retirement benefit. Whether or not that optimal date is age 62 — I doubt if it’s that early, and only very careful software can tell you — you’ll want to suspend your retirement benefit at full retirement age and start it up again at 70.
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