Social Security Benefit Planning
One Decision. Tens of Thousands of Dollars. Get It Right the First Time.
When you claim Social Security, it’s not just a date on a calendar; it’s one of the biggest financial decisions you’ll ever make. The difference between claiming at 62 and waiting until 70 can mean tens of thousands of dollars in lifetime income. And once you decide, it’s very hard to undo.
There’s no single right answer for everyone. It depends on your health, your other income sources, your spouse’s situation, your tax picture, and what you actually need your money to do. I’ll look at your specific earnings record and help you figure out the strategy that makes the most sense for your life, not a generic rule of thumb.
What We Look At Together
Claiming Age & Break-Even Analysis
Every year you delay claiming past 62 increases your monthly benefit. But waiting isn’t automatically the right move for everyone. We’ll look at your full retirement age, your break-even point, and what claiming early vs. delaying to 70 actually means for your specific numbers.
Spousal & Survivor Benefits
If you’re married, your claiming decision affects more than just your own benefit. We’ll look at spousal benefits, how to coordinate claiming between you and your spouse, and survivor benefit rules, so whichever of you outlives the other isn’t left with less than they should have.
Divorced Spouse Benefits
If you were married for 10 years or longer, you may be entitled to claim on your ex-spouse’s earnings record, even if they’ve remarried. Most people don’t know this rule exists. We’ll look at whether you qualify and how it compares to claiming on your own record.
Working While Claiming
If you plan to keep working before you reach full retirement age, the Social Security earnings test can temporarily reduce what you receive. We’ll walk through how this works, what the thresholds are, and how to plan around it so you’re not caught off guard.
How Social Security Is Taxed
Many people are surprised to learn that Social Security benefits can be taxed, sometimes up to 85% of your benefit, depending on your other income. We’ll look at where your income falls relative to the thresholds and whether there are ways to manage your taxable income to reduce the hit.
Coordinating With Pensions, Medicare & Other Income
If you’re a teacher or public employee, your pension may affect how your Social Security is calculated. And your income level can also push up what you pay for Medicare Part B and Part D through IRMAA surcharges. We’ll look at the full picture, not just the Social Security piece in isolation, so your claiming strategy works with everything else, not against it.
Who This Is For
- Anyone within 5–10 years of retirement who hasn’t figured out their claiming strategy
- Couples where both spouses have work records and need to coordinate claiming
- Divorced individuals who may be entitled to benefits on an ex-spouse’s record
- Widows and widowers navigating survivor benefit decisions
- Teachers and public employees who also receive a pension and need to understand how it affects their Social Security
- Anyone still working who wants to understand how continuing to work affects their benefit