Your Social Security Playbook: Building Your Strategy- Married Filers

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

• Social Security Administration
• Live Year-End Planning Session 
• Sign up for the Noodle! 
• Rock Retirement with Roger Whitney — YouTube channel
• Submit a Question for Roger

ON THE BOOKSHELF

• Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt 
• In a Sunburned Country by Bill Bryson