In that situation, the older spouse should claim at 70, and the younger spouse should likely claim early. If the younger spouse claims early, their benefit will be replaced by a survivor benefit when the older spouse dies. With a 9-year age difference, the younger spouse is likely not to be that old at the older spouse's death.There is no higher earner or lower earner as we have nearly identical earnings records and PIA due to having been a dual income/career household with very similar salaries for multiple decades. Only difference being an age gap between us, so the older will hit age 70 before the younger one reaches FRA.
But if you are both in good health, or if you need longevity insurance, it is reasonable for both to claim at 70.
Statistics: Posted by grabiner — Fri Nov 14, 2025 10:32 pm — Replies 106 — Views 9513