Roger Whitney closes out his five-week Social Security series with a practical framework for married couples deciding when to claim. He explains how to coordinate benefits, avoid common mistakes, and make a decision that fits the household rather than relying on a single calculator or searching for a perfect answer.
OUTLINE OF THIS EPISODE OF THE RETIREMENT ANSWER MAN PODCAST
- (00:00) Roger Whitney closes out his five-week Social Security series with a guide to building a claiming strategy for married couples. He shares a practical framework for coordinating benefits, avoiding common mistakes, and making a decision that fits the household.
PRACTICAL PLANNING
- (06:54) Roger shares a framework for coordinating benefits, weighing household priorities, and testing claiming strategies against a retirement plan of record.
LISTENER QUESTIONS
- (36:55) Dominic: Do cost-of-living adjustments apply before claiming?
- (39:17) Joe: Should he wait until age 70 to claim while his wife claims at 62?
- (41:31) Jason: Should the opportunity cost of delaying be compared with the potential return of an aggressive investment portfolio?
- (45:05) Ann: What if both spouses have similar, moderate-to-high benefits?
- (46:20) Stacy: Is it reasonable for a lower-earning husband to claim at 62 while his higher-earning wife waits until 70?
SMART SPRINT
- (49:08) Put time for your Social Security decision on the calendar.
ON THE BOOKSHELF
- (50:38) Roger and Nichole share books they’re reading, and Roger previews next week’s conversation with Peter Lazaroff about The Perfect Portfolio.
REFERENCES
ON THE BOOKSHELF
What is Retirement Answer Man?
A top retirement podcast. Roger Whitney, CFP®, CIMA®, CPWA®, RMA, guides you on how to actually do retirement well financially and personally. This retirement podcast isn't afraid to talk about the softer side of retirement. It will teach you how to retire with confidence. Two-time PLUTUS winner for best retirement podcast / blog and the 2019 winner for best financial planner blog. This retirement podcast covers how to create a paycheck, medicare, healthcare, Social Security, tax management in retirement as well as retirement travel and other non-financial issues you'll need to address to rock retirement. Retirement isn’t an age OR a financial number. It’s finding that balance between living well today and feeling confident about your retirement. It’s about gaining more freedom to pursue the life you want. Join the rock retirement community at www.rogerwhitney.com