HI,
Thank you for this column. I am filing for social security benefits next month, at age 66. My husband is 63, and still working full time. Can he apply for a spousal benefit? It seems, from my reading of the rules, that his benefit would be eliminated by his earnings, so there would not be much point in filing. Thanks again--TW

Hi TW,

Since your husband was apparently born after January 1 1954, if he filed for spousal benefits he would also be forced to file for his own benefits at the same time. And, he would only be eligible for spousal benefits if 50% of your full retirement age rate (PIA) is higher than his own PIA. Also, his benefit rate will be reduced for age if he files before full retirement age (FRA), and his benefits could be subject to full or partial withholding until he reaches FRA due to Social Security's earnings test (https://www.ssa.gov/planners/retire/whileworking2.html).

You and your husband should strongly consider using our maximization software to explore and compare your various filing strategies in order to determine your best overall plan.

Best, Jerry