Hi Larry,
Can you tell me if the following statement is correct?
**If I start collecting SS benefits at age 62 and my spouse waits until full retirement age.... and when one dies, the survivor will get to claim the maximized benefit as their own -- and that would be my spouses benefit.
It will be significantly larger than mine.

Hi,

If by 'maximized benefit' you mean the higher of the couple's benefit rates, that statement would be true assuming that the surviving spouse doesn't start drawing survivor benefits prior to their full retirement age (FRA). In the scenario you describe, you would still get your spouse's full benefit rate as a survivor even if you start drawing your own benefits at age 62, provided that you're at least FRA when you claim the survivor benefits. Just to be clear, though, you wouldn't get your spouse's full rate plus your own benefit rate, just the higher of the two amounts.

You and your husband may want to strongly consider using our software (https://maximizemysocialsecurity.com/purchase) to fully analyze the options available to you in order to determine your best strategy for maximizing your benefits.

Best, Jerry