Larry, I'm trying to help a client who is currently receiving her deceased husbands social security. She wants to know when and if it would be beneficial to start claiming her benefits.

I'm not sure what questions to ask her but want to help her make the best decision ?
Thanks so much for your help and is there matrix or checklist to take client's through as a way of making sure they make the right decision ?

Hi,

Not that I am aware of. It would be virtually impossible to create a checklist like you're referring to that would be reliable. Social Security is an extremely complex program, and no two people's circumstances and options are exactly the same. Our software is designed to identify the optimal claiming strategy for people based on their unique set of circumstances, and numerous variables factor into that analysis. We do offer a program for financial professionals, so please refer to the 'For Advisors' link on this page for more information.

That said, if a person is currently receiving widow's benefits and they're under age 70, it would be advantageous in most cases for them to claim their retirement benefits at age 70 assuming that their own retirement benefit rate would be higher than their widow's rate. As explained above, though, each person's situation is different so it sounds like your client should strongly consider using our software to fully explore and compare her options.

Best, Jerry