I will be 70 on April 14th, 1918. I want to start drawing, but not sure when to file for benefits. What do you recommend so I don't get shown as beginning at age 69?
Also my wife is currently drawing her benefits, but half of mine would give her a raise. Can she apply for half of my benefits once I start drawing.

Hi,

You simply need to specify on your application that you want to elect benefits starting with the month you reach age 70, or April 2018 in your case. You can file your application up to 4 months in advance of that.

When you start drawing your retirement benefits, your wife could potentially receive additional spousal benefits from your record, but only if 50% of your full retirement age rate (PIA) is higher than her own PIA.

Also, if your wife is receiving her retirement benefits and you aren't already receiving spousal benefits from her record, you should probably file for those benefits ASAP. Drawing spousal benefits on your wife's record wouldn't have any effect on your own retirement rate. You may want to use the maximization software available on this website to make sure that you and your wife choose the best possible filing strategy.

Best, Jerry