Dear Mr. Kotlikoff,
I thank you and Jerry so much for answering my question a few days ago. I just got your latest book from Amazon to study.
I have a follow up to my question.
Again, the situation I had described, but now in reverse,

I will be turning 66 in November of 2019. That means, I turned 62 before January 2, 2016. My FRA Benefit will be $2,300/month. My wife will reach her FRA in July 2020 (born after Jan. 1, 1954) with FRA benefit $2,600/month.

1. If I file for my FRA Benefit this November, can I restrict my application to apply only for my wife’s benefits and delay my own filing in order to earn delayed retirement credits?
2. Do we have to wait till her FRA (July 2020) for me to claim Spousal Benefit?
3. Does she have to apply for her FRA benefit first in order for me to claim the Spousal Benefit?

Thank you so much for your time.

Hi,

You can't qualify to receive spousal benefits unless your wife is drawing her Social Security retirement benefits. You could potentially file a restricted application for just spousal benefits effective with as early as the month you reach full retirement age (FRA), but only if your wife claims her benefits by then. And, if your wife is still working both her benefits and your spousal benefits could be subject to full or partial withholding until the month she reaches FRA based on Social Security's earnings test (https://www.ssa.gov/planners/retire/whileworking.html).

The amount of your wife's earnings prior to FRA is just one of a number of factors that could affect your optimal filing strategy, so you should strongly consider using our software to fully compare your options so that you can make the best possible filing decision.

Best, Jerry