My husband is 11 years older than me. He was born on January 1951. He is waiting until he is 70 to retire. Can I retire at 62 and draw from him or will I need to work until full retirement? I'm sure his will be higher than mine.

Hi,

Spousal benefits can be payable at a reduced rate as early as age 62. Since you were born after January 1 1954, If you file for spousal benefits at age 62 or anytime after that you'll be deemed to also be filing for your own Social Security retirement benefits. What you'd then receive is basically the higher of the 2 benefit rates, and your benefit rate will be reduced for age if you start drawing prior to your full retirement age (FRA).

So, you could file as early as age 62 but you would get a higher monthly benefit rate if you wait until you're older to start drawing benefits. Before you decide what to do, you may want to strongly consider using our software to explore and compare your options.

Best, Jerry