Ask Larry

Should My Wife Start Drawing Benefits At Age 62?

I am 63 and still working, my wife retired 3 years ago and draws a pension.
she is 62 and can draw social security, should she?
She no longer pays into SS, as a result, does her benefit still grow or should she take it now and not leave the money on the table?

Hi,

If your wife starts drawing her benefits before full retirement age (FRA), they'll be reduced for age. The reduction percentage for people starting benefits at age 62 is around 25% or more depending on their year of birth (https://www.ssa.gov/OACT/quickcalc/earlyretire.html). Conversely, people who wait until age 70 to start drawing benefits get delayed retirement credits that can increase their full retirement age rate by up to 32%. So, even though your wife is no longer working, her benefit rate would continue to grow for as long as she waits to start drawing until age 70.

That said, when to start drawing Social Security is a personal decision. You and your wife may want to strongly consider using the maximization software available on this website to explore your filing options and determine your best overall strategy.

Best, Jerry

Posted: 
Sep 15 2017 - 7:13am
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