I was born in Sept 1955 and My wife was born in June 1956
I earned a lot more money, so her benefit as my spouse is larger than her benefit on her own account.
If she starts collecting SS on her account at 62, does that reduce her spousal benefit?
Can I file as her spouse when she is 62? Does that reduce my benefit on my own account?

Hi,

Both you and your wife were born after January 1 1954, so neither of you can file for spousal benefits without being deemed to file for retirement benefits on your own record (https://www.ssa.gov/planners/retire/claiming.html?intcmp=AE-RET-PLRT-REL...). And, vice versa. Therefore, assuming your own benefit rate is higher than your wife's, you could never qualify for spousal benefits on her record.

If your wife files at age 62 and you haven't yet filed for your benefits, her reduced retirement benefit rate will be reduced for age. And, if 50% of your full retirement age rate (PIA) is higher than her own PIA, she'll be forced to file for spousal benefits as soon as you file for your retirement benefits. So, if she's under full retirement age (FRA) when you file for your benefits, her excess spousal benefit will also be reduced for age.

For example, say Jill files at age 62 and receives a reduced retirement benefit of $590 based on her PIA of $800. Jill's husband Jack files for his retirement benefits when Jill is 64. Jack's PIA is $2000, so Jill's reduced excess spousal benefit would be about $161 (i.e. ($2000/2 - $800) x ..8055). Jill's reduced excess spousal benefit would then be added to her reduced retirement benefit, making her combined benefit rate $751 (i.e. $590 + $161).

You may want to consider running the maximization software available on this website so that you and your wife can explore your options and determine your best filing strategy.

Best, Jerry