I probably have written more than 100 columns about the obsession older adults have with “maximizing” their Social Security retirement benefits. I’m not going to get into that issue today. I personally don’t think it’s always the right move. But if you’re determined to employ these alleged strategies (which almost always mean delaying starting your benefits as long as possible), then go ahead and do it. And then hope you just live long enough to beat the system!
But today I’m going to deal with another side of the maximizing coin. This has to do with spousal benefits. It’s based on an email I got from a woman whose husband is trying to convince her to get on his maximizing bandwagon. And I’m going to give her some food for thought to help her decide if that is really what she wants to do. To see what I’m talking about, let’s start with the email.
