Help! The new Republican government wants to privatize Social Security, and judging from the haste in which the last major SS law was passed, I feel major disruption is possible in short order. It seems wise to me to file now (I am 62) which might get me grandfathered in after the new laws are passed. If I have not yet filed, I might be out in the cold. What do you think?

Hi,

My opinion is that you shouldn't make any Social Security decisions based on concerns over future changes in the law that may never happen. Since you are already age 62, you would likely be grandfathered under any new laws, and if you panic and start benefits at age 62 because you're worried about changes in the law that never occur, you'll just be stuck with reduced benefits for as long as you live.

You may want to consider running the maximization software available on this website in order to determine your best filing strategy.

Best, Jerry