5. Optimize Survivor Benefits to Protect Your Partner

When a spouse passes away, the surviving partner does not keep both Social Security checks. Instead, they keep the larger of the two benefits, and the smaller one disappears entirely. This makes the higher earner’s claiming decision a life insurance equivalent for the surviving spouse.

If you are the primary breadwinner, claiming at 62 permanently cripples the survivor benefit you leave behind. Conversely, delaying your claim until age 70 guarantees your widow or widower will receive the absolute maximum possible monthly check for the rest of their life. Widows and widowers also possess a unique flexibility: they can restrict their application to claim survivor benefits first while allowing their own retirement benefit to grow with delayed retirement credits, switching to their own larger record at age 70.