Understanding How to Optimize Social Security

Understanding How to Optimize Social Security

Women at Issue in Retirement with Joann Small

Understanding How to Optimize Social Security in Retirement

Women face a longer retirement than men, which makes it especially important for them to get educated on optimizing their Social Security Income in retirement.

Women can benefit a lot from learning about these three Social Security claiming strategies:

Delaying your claim

You can claim Social Security as early as 62 and as late as 70. However, for each year you delay claiming Social Security Income, your future monthly payments increase. If you claim at age 70, you can have as much as 76% more monthly income from Social Security than if you had claimed at age 62.

Claiming spousal benefits

Women should consider claiming spousal benefits based on their husband, or even ex-husband’s income. The spousal benefit applies to married women or women divorced after ten years of marriage. It allows the spouse with little or no income to increase their social security income to half of what their spouse, or ex, is receiving.

Example- If you receive $900 a month from Social Security, and your spouse, or ex-spouse, receives $2000, by claiming spousal benefits you would increase your monthly payments to $1000.

Double Dip Strategy

This strategy is a combination of both strategies for couples. It allows one spouse to start receiving spousal Social Security Income, while still delaying their own income to grow to a maximum benefit level for you to claim at a later date, ideally age 70.

As promised by our hosts Phil and Joann, we have provided several helpful links to tools and information that was mentioned on the show. Please review our links below and be sure to visit www.CrashProofEvents.com to see when the next no-cost Crash Proof Educational Event is coming to your area.

 Social Security Income Estimator– This tool can provide you with a general idea of how much you can expect to earn from Social Security once you retire, so that you can plan your budget accordingly.

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