I am the higher earner by far. I just turned 65. My wife is 66 in November. I have the luxury to wait until 70 to collect benefits. Health is good for us both. What is our best strategy? If she were to claim her benefit at 66 , can I claim a spousal at my FRA and then switch to my benefit at 70?

Thank You so much!

Hi,

Yes, your wife can file for her benefits at age 66 and you can then file for just spousal benefits when you reach age 66. You can then switch to your own account at age 70.

This may well be your best strategy, and most likely is if your wife's full retirement age benefit (PIA) is substantially less than half of your PIA. You may, however, wish to consider running the maximization software available on this website in order to be sure.

Best, Jerry