My husband will turn 67 in November and i will be 66 in April of next year and might apply for spousal then. I'm wondering if he should apply for retirement benefits before the end of the year. In other words, is there any beneficial reason to file in Oct., Nov, or Dec. as opposed to Jan. 1, 2019? Maybe something having to do with DRC's or the hold harmless rule? BTW, I'm assuming we won't be held harmless anymore after we're on social security. Is this true?

Hi,

Filing for benefits effective with October, November or December 2018 instead of January 2019 would just reduce the number of delayed retirement credits (DRC) that your husband would receive, which in turn would mean a lower monthly benefit rate.

It's possible that filing effective with November or sooner could at least temporarily make your husband's Part B Medicare premiums due to the 'hold harmless' provision, but only if the upcoming Social Security cost of living increase (COLA) isn't large enough to cover any increase in the 2019 standard Part B premium rate. That appears unlikely given current projections, although the actual 2019 COLA and premium rates haven't yet been determined.

You and your husband should strongly consider using our maximization software in order to compare your various options and determine your optimal filing strategy.

Best, Jerry