Episode 3 of 6
The Social Security Timing Game
Eric can claim at 62 for $2,400/month or wait until 70 for $4,200/month. Carol's benefit is $1,800 at 62 or $3,100 at 70. They model the optimal claiming strategy for a two-income household — and discover the answer is not what either expected.
Key Insight
The optimal strategy: Eric claims at 70 ($4,200/month) while Carol claims at 64 ($2,100/month) to bridge the income gap. This maximizes the survivor benefit and yields $118k more in lifetime household income than both claiming at 62.
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