Don’t delay spousal benefits

While you should wait to claim your own Social Security benefits to get a higher amount in retirement, there’s no need to do the same when it comes to collecting spousal benefits when you reach your full retirement age.  The spousal benefits are limited at 100%, so if you’re at least 62 years old, it’s alright to claim them; they won’t offset or affect your own benefits.

You might also be interested in reading 6 Things that Might Happen to Social Security if Trump Gets Reelected!

Take your spouse’s benefits instead of yours

If you earned less than your spouse and contributed less to the Social Security program, the option of waiting to claim your earned benefits in order to optimize them might not work in your favor. Your best would be to claim your own benefits and wait until full retirement age to switch to your spousal benefit. It’s true that your benefit will remain reduced but at least you’ll get a full spousal benefit based on your spouse’s earning records.

See also 10 Mistakes That Reduce Your Social Security Payments.