Hello Larry,

I have purchased and read the new edition of your book. It may be my question is so simple it never gets explicitly highlighted or clearly addressed. Regardless, I need to know for sure. There has been so much made over file & suspend and the new laws that what I think is (and was) best for us never really gets emphasized, either before or after the new law took place.

I am 67 and the larger wage earner. My wife just turned 66. It seems to be what makes most sense for us is for her to now file for her FRA benefit and for me to file a restricted application (with written comments as you recommend on p. 73) so I get free spousal benefits from her filing. Then, at age 70, I file for myself and she takes the spousal benefit from me which will be higher than her own FRA benefit.

Is there any reason we would want to do something other than this? And, if so, what would be the preferable alternative(s)?
Thanks! Arthur

Dear Arthur,

You should have filed and suspended before April 30, 2016. In that case your wife could be collecting a full spousal benefit starting now (equal to half of your full retirement benefit) and then you both could have waited till 70 to take your retirement benefits. If you, like so many other people, were misled about the deadline by Social Security, I recommend you contact your members of Congress and ask them to ask Social Security to let you file and suspend retroactive to April 29, 2016. Someone I know was misled by Social Security about the deadline and was able to suspend retroactively. He had help from his Congressman. But it's still remarkable since it was his word against Social Security's.

What you should do now is to run our software by clicking Purchase on our site and buying the $40 Maximize My Social Security program for households. It's not clear if you should file early or your wife. In the former case, she'll be able to collect larger spousal benefits for more years, but it will come at the cost of permanently lower retirement benefits for you and, therefore, permanently lower widow benefits if you pass away. If she files early, you'll collect lower spousal benefits for only 3 years and her retirement benefit will be permanently reduced. Neither of these options may beat your both waiting till 70 to collect you maximum retirement benefits. So please see what the program suggests. It's far smarter than me.

My best, Larry