When should married men claim Social Security benefits?

Sass, Steven A., Wei Sun, and Anthony Webb. “When should married men claim Social Security benefits?”. Issue in Brief 8-4, Chestnut Hill, Mass.: Center for Retirement Research at Boston College, March 2008. http://hdl.handle.net/2345/bc-ir:104321.
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Abstract

Most married men claim Social Security benefits at age 62 or 63, well short of the age that maximizes the expected present value of the average household's benefits.  That many married men "leave money on the table" is surprising.  It is also problematic.  It results in much lower benefits for surviving spouses and the low incomes of elderly widows are a major social problem.  If married men delayed claiming Social Security benefits, retirement income security would significantly improve.  This brief focuses on the potential gains from delayed claiming and the factors that may influence claiming behavior.  It then considers possible policy responses.

Title
When should married men claim Social Security benefits?
Author
Sass, Steven A.
Sun, Wei
Webb, Anthony
Center
Center for Retirement Research
Genre
report
Date Issued
March 2008
Publisher
Center for Retirement Research at Boston College
Series Title
Issue in Brief
Series Number
8-4
Version Identification
Version of record.
Persistent Link
http://hdl.handle.net/2345/bc-ir:104321
Use Restrictions
These materials are made available for use in research, teaching and private study, pursuant to U.S. Copyright Law. The user must assume full responsibility for any use of the materials, including but not limited to, infringement of copyright and publication rights of reproduced materials. Any materials used for academic research or otherwise should be fully credited with the source. The publisher or original authors may retain copyright to the materials.
Subject
Social Security

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