I will be 66 in 14 months, My husband is. 2 years younger.
We have been married 33 years, 2 grown healthy children, He was the larger earner for most of our marriage and his expected income from SS is probably about double mine at this time. . I would estimate that I could easily live beyond 85, I would estimate that 85 would be more realistic/optimistic for him ( he lives with me:)) We are both still working and plan on continuing beyond 66. He has some health challenges that are stable at this time - family longevity is 76 for Dad mom is still alive at 86.
First - Neither of us has of yet filed for any benefits from Social Security.
I thought I read an except from your new book that said we would be grandfathered in if we were age 62 before January 1, 2016. ( we purchased your book 2 weeks before the law changed so am ordering your revised "get what's yours" one), but then thought I read something in a Q and A on this site that contradicted that.
Are either of us able to file on the others Social security? Possibly when one or both of us are 66? and collect from the others until age 70 Or are all options around that closed?
Also do you do private consultations? - if so, the cost and estimates of how many hours you typically recommend.

Thank you
Donna

Hi Donna, You actually have a pretty complicated case. You are both grandfathered with respect to filing just for your spousal benefit on the other's work record starting at 66. But the spouse who isn't collecting a spousal benefit needs to actually collect his/her retirement benefit. It may be optimal for you to take your own retirement benefit now and have your husband file for a spousal benefit on your record at 66 and then take his retirement benefit at 70. At that point you would file for your excess spousal benefit. If your excess spousal benefit is positive you will have received 5 years of retirement benefits that would otherwise have been lost had you simply waited till 70 to collect and then at 72, when your husband files, realize that your excess spousal benefit is positive meaning you are basically collecting just on your husband's work record since the sum of your excess spousal benefit plus your own retirement benefit will equal your full spousal benefit.
But it could also be the case that your excess spousal benefit is zero. In this case, taking your retirement benefit early comes at a permanent cost.

Another option is for your husband to take his retirement benefit early and then you collect your full spousal benefit until 70 when you take your retirement benefit. At that point your husband suspends his retirement benefit and restarts it at 70.

Please do run our $40 program that we sell at this site. It will analyze the tens of thousands of options that are possible here with respect to which of you files for what on which particular month. It also takes into account your inputted maximum ages of life, which can matter substantially.

My best, Larry