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Filing Strategies
May 25, 2023
What Is The Downside To My Spouse Claiming Her Own Benefits At 62 And Then Upgrading To Spousal Benefits When I Turn 67?
May 18, 2023
Is There An Average Acceptable Cost From Savings To Defer SS Until My Wife And I Are Both Age 70?
May 3, 2023
If I Suspend My Survivor Benefits Because Of Earnings Do They Continue To Accrue?
April 27, 2023
If My Wife Starts Out Drawing Disability Benefits WIll Those Benefits Convert To 50% Of My Benefit When She Reaches Age 67?
April 16, 2023
Can My Wife Collect Her Benefits Now At Age 63 WIthout Losing The Ability To Collect Half Of My Benefit Amount Later?
April 13, 2023
Should I Apply At Age 62 So That I Can Draw Some Benefits Before Retiring From The Local School District?
March 26, 2023
Is There A Good Reference For Learning The Nuances Of Filing Strategies For A Married Couple?
February 23, 2023
Should I Switch Over To Ex-Spousal Benefits Or Stay With My Own Benefits?
February 15, 2023
Would The Benefit Increase I Receive By Waiting Until Age 70 Be Enough To Offset What I Could Receive By Filing Sooner?
February 5, 2023
Would You Recommend Any Options For Me And My Wife Other Than Waiting Until Age 70 To Apply?
January 14, 2023
Should I Start Drawing My Own SS Now In Anticipation Of Collecting A Higher Widow's Benefit Later?
January 14, 2023
Should I Start Drawing My Own SS Now In Anticipation Of Collecting A Higher Widow's Benefit Later?
January 11, 2023
Does The Fact That My Husband Started Out Collecting SSDI Affect Our Best Strategy?
November 28, 2022
Would You Still Advise Waiting Until Age 70 To Claim Benefits If Personal Circumstances Allow?
October 19, 2022
Is There Any Advantage To Starting Benefits At Age 69 Instead Of 70 Due To The New COLA?
October 18, 2022
Is It Correct That I Need To Wait Until My Full Retirement Age To Get My Husband's Full Amount?
October 16, 2022
If My Wife Files For Her Benefits At Age 62 Will She Be Eligible For 50% Of My Benefit When I Begin Receiving My Benefits?
October 7, 2022
Should I Wait Until 2023 To Apply For Benefits In Order To Get Credit For My 2022 Earnings?
September 26, 2022
Should I File For Retroactive Benefits Or Will That Have A Negative Effect On My Future Benefits?
September 22, 2022
When Must I Apply For Benefits To Get The Increased January 2023 Rate?
September 14, 2022
Should I Switch To My Own Benefits Now So That I Can Collect The Upcoming COLA?
September 12, 2022
Should My Wife Start Collecting Her Benefits At Age 62 And Invest All Of The Money?
September 1, 2022
Does It Make Sense For My Wife To Start Collecting At Age 69 Instead Of 70?
August 18, 2022
Was It In My Best Interest To Apply For My Social Security Benefits At Age 62?
August 11, 2022
Is There A Point At Which High Inflation And COLAs Negate The Advantage Of Waiting Until Age 70 To Collect?
July 27, 2022
Can I File For Spousal Benefits Now And Wait Until Age 70 To File For My Own Benefits?
June 25, 2022
Will My Wife's Survivor Rate Be Affected If She Starts Receiving Her Own Benefits Prior To Her Full Retirement Age?
June 24, 2022
If My Wife Applies For Benefits At Age 62 Can She Get The Higher Of Her Own Benefit Or 50% Of My Benefit Amount?
June 20, 2022
What Is My Best Option For Collecting U.S. Social Security, CPP & Canadian Old Age Security?
June 3, 2022
Am I Correct In Thinking That My Best Strategy Is To Claim Spousal Benefits At Age 65?
May 29, 2022
Will My Wife's Spousal Rate Be Reduced If She Starts Her Own Benefits Early?
May 22, 2022
Is There A Best Strategy To Use If My Husband Takes A Job Where He Won't Pay Into Social Security?
May 2, 2022
Can I Wait Past Age 70 To Start Drawing Benefits And Get Additional Delayed Retirement Credits?
April 19, 2022
Should I Start Collecting My Benefits In December To Collect The January COLA Increase?
April 5, 2022
Can I Collect Widow's Benefits Now At Age 64 And Switch To My Own Unreduced Benefit At FRA?
March 21, 2022
Does My Filing An Application Automatically Trigger An Application From My Husband?
March 14, 2022
How Will I Gain Access To My Or My Husband's Full Benefits And At What Age?
February 16, 2022
Can I Collect Benefits On My Ex-Husband's Account At FRA And Wait Until Age 70 To Collect My Own Benefit?
February 16, 2022
How Can I Find Out What I'm Entitled To From My Deceased Husband's Account?
February 14, 2022
If My Wife Files For Her Own Benefits Now Will Her Benefit Rate Be Lower When She Switches To Spousal Benefits?
February 9, 2022
Given That My Wife Is 10 Years Younger Than Me, Should I Wait Until Age 70 To Claim My SS?
February 3, 2022
Is There A Way To Start Collecting Your Social Security At Age 55 Even If You Aren't Disabled?
January 24, 2022
When Do You Recommend Taking Social Security Benefits For High Net Worth Couples?
January 18, 2022
Would It Make Sense For Me To File A Restricted Application For Spousal Benefits?
January 13, 2022
Is It A Smart Move To Start My Own Benefits At 62 And Then Collect My Deceased Husband's Benefits At My Full Retirement Age?
January 3, 2022
Is It True That If I Apply For Divorced Widow's Benefits Social Security Will Pay Me The Higher Of That Benefit Or My Own Benefit?
December 26, 2021
Should I File Now Or Should My Husband And I Both Wait Until We're Age 70 To Start Drawing Benefits?
December 16, 2021
Should I Apply At Age 62 So My Children Can Start Collecting Or Wait Until FRA Or Age 70?
December 6, 2021
Should My Wife Start Collecting Her Benefits At Age 62 Since She'll Be Eligible For A Higher Spousal Benefit Later?

About the Author
Laurence J. Kotlikoff
Laurence J. Kotlikoff is a William Fairfield Warren Professor and Professor of Economics at Boston University, a Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, a Fellow of the Econometric Society, and a Research Associate of the National Bureau of Economic Research.
Professor Kotlikoff received his B.A. in Economics from the University of Pennsylvania in 1973 and his Ph.D. in Economics from Harvard University in 1977. Kotlikoff is the Director of the Fiscal Analysis Center.
A New York Times Bestselling author, he has written nineteen books and hundreds of professional articles and op-eds. He is a frequent television and radio guest. His columns have appeared in the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, London Financial Times, the Boston Globe, Bloomberg, Forbes, Yahoo.com, Fortune, and other major publications. In 2014, The Economist named him one of the world's 25 most influential economists