If the wife hasn't worked and is eligible for Social Security benefits based on her spouse's earnings, she can typically receive up to 50% of her husband's full retirement benefit if she claims at her full retirement age. However, if she claims benefits earlier, such as at age 62, her benefits will be reduced.
The reduction in benefits for claiming early is based on the number of months before her full retirement age she starts receiving benefits. For those born between 1943 and 1954, full retirement age is 66. For each month before full retirement age that benefits are claimed, there's a reduction of about 6.67%.
So, if her husband's full retirement benefit is $40,000 per year, and assuming she has a full retirement age of 66, and she claims benefits at age 62, her benefit amount could be approximately 35-37.5% of his benefit, depending on her exact birth year. This would result in a benefit of around $14,000 to $15,000 per year. However, this is just a rough estimate and the actual amount can vary based on individual circumstances and Social Security regulations at the time of application. It's always a good idea to check with the Social Security Administration for the most accurate information.
I am looking SS benefits policy about how to calculate my family and my wife SS income based on my actual SS income. I just taken my SS benefit a few months ago with two years delay on 69. I full retirement benefit at $3100/month. With 2-year delay, I current SS benefit at $3616/month. Because I have a child under 18, I can take filmily package benefit with 75% of my SS benefit. However, I worked with a SS official to calculate my family benefit and my wife benefit. This official calculated my family benefit and my wife benefit only based on my full SS benefits $3100 not based on my delayed SS benefit $3616. Have you known or do you know how or where to find this SS policy/document related to delay retirement 8% per year reward only for the retired person, not benefit for the retired person family and spouse? I feel this is not fair or mislead, I would like to collect related the information and make another appointment with SS official to discuss this.
Thank you very much for your prompt reply. My question?
Thank you very much for your help. I tried to find this related SS policy and could not find any. So made a 2 year delay retirement disition. I lose about $130,000 ($3100+$2325 (family 75% benefit) *24 months) 2 year delayed benefits. If this policy is true, I naver catch up this lose!
居士又一篇好文！Many comments are very informative too! I learned a lot from posts of 居士 and other people. I would like to share my ideas. It appears we should claim SSN income no later than the January of the next year after stop working. I would like to learn if we should claim as soon as we stop working if we have relatively high income, since our income is taxed years.
Whis is the best time we should retire? I think it depends on what time retirement would bring us the most happiness. If you are free from financial worry but the size of your asset matters a lot to your happiness, you may be better off pushing off your retirement date. Certainly it also depends on how you enjoy the work you are doing and many other factors. Thanks a lot!
我的长寿秘诀就在于，不把人性想得太好。人性本就有很多缺陷，你要是一肚子怨气和厌恶，就相当于是在惩罚自己。
--查理·芒格
1935年，美国总统罗斯福签署了社会保障法案（Social Security Act），标志着美国全民养老金系统的诞生。八十九后的今天，社安金，也叫社会保障金，成了美国退休人士的一项最重要的收入来源。
一、单身人士在2023年，美国联邦政府预算中的21%，是给4800万退休人员发社安金，人均发放2.2万美元。
如果你已经接近退休年龄，你可以登录社会保障署的官方网站(ssa.gov)，查看你的社安金年度报告、以及退休后的社安金预估，从而更好地规划退休后的家庭预算。
在了解社安金政策的时候，我们需要明白“完全退休年龄”这个概念。什么是完全退休年龄呢？根据定义，只有到了完全退休年龄的人，才能拿到100%的社安金，即全额社安金。
根据美国现行法律，出生在1960年以前的人士，根据生日，完全退休年龄是65岁到67岁之间。而1960年以后出生的人士，完全退休年龄就是67岁。
众所周知的是，我们最早可以在62岁开始领取社安金。但是，如果在早于完全退休年龄前开始领取，每月领取的数量将会大打折扣。比如，在完全退休年龄之前领取，每提前一年，领取的社安金就减少6.67%。
为了鼓励退休人士晚些时候领取社安金，政府给过了完全退休年龄、推迟领取社安金的人士，增发社保金。计算方法是：每推迟一年，社安金增加8%。这个奖励直到70岁截至。再往后推迟，就没有额外的奖励了。
以我为例，如果我在67岁开始领取，每月可以领取3872美元社安金，而每年可以领4.65万美元；这就是我的全额社安金。加上我太太的全额社安金，我们一年的社安收入约为9.3万美元。可是如果我从62岁就开始领取，每年只能领取3.06万美元。相反地，如果我推迟到70岁开始领取，每年可以拿到5.78万美元。
那么，我们应该何时开始领取社保呢？
显而易见的是，如果你在62岁时已经不再工作，并且你也没有足够的其余收入，例如个人退休计划401k/403b、或者其它可以产生被动收入的资产，比如股票基金或者投资房。在此情况下，你必须依靠社安金的收入维持生计。那么，你只能从62岁就开始领取。
二、已婚人士如果你在完全退休年龄、甚至70岁之前，你有足够的其它收入维持退休生活的开支，那么你该怎么办呢？是在62岁开始领取社安金，还是等到完全退休年龄，还是应该推迟到70岁？
这取决于很多因素，而最重要的因素是你的预期寿命。社保署设计的算法，其实非常简单。如果你的预期寿命是82岁，那么无论何时开始领取，你终其一生获得的社安金总数，几乎差别不大。但是，如果你的预期寿命大于82岁，那么越晚领取，你得到的社安金就越多。
以我为例。如果我从67岁开始领取，到82岁时，一共可以领取15年，每年领取4.65万，总共就是69万美元。如果我从70岁开始，每年领取5.78万，12年下来，也是69万美元。
那么，如何预估自己的寿命呢？
我们先看统计数字。虽然美国新生儿的预期寿命是78岁，可是一个62岁的华裔，其预期寿命接近90岁！
具体到每个人，因为生活习惯、身体健康状况以及家族病史的情况因人而而已，上述统计数据未必准确。好消息是，互联网上有很多网站，可以根据我们提供的个人信息，给出更靠谱的预期寿命。比如，根据这个网站，我的预期寿命是96岁。
假设我真的可以活到96岁，如果我从67岁开始领取，到那时，一共可以领取29年，每年领取4.65万，总共就是135万美元。如果我从70岁开始，每年领取5.78万，26年下来，就领取了150万美元。不难看出，推迟领取的策略胜出了11%。
因此，对于大部分的美国华裔，如果你已经过了花甲之年，你的预期寿命多半会超过82岁。因此，我建议推迟到70岁开始领取社安金。如果在70岁之前需要社安金维持日常开支，最好也要等到完全退休年龄之后开始领取。
已婚人士的社安金领取策略，比单身人士具有更大的灵活性。
三、另类策略首先，按照美国法律，即使是从来不参加工作的人士，也可以领取配偶社安金的一半，而且从62岁就可以开始领取。比如，丈夫的全额社安金是每年5万美元；那么作为家庭主妇的妻子，从62岁起就可以每年领取2.5万美元的社安金。
其次，如果退休后夫妻之中的高收入成员不幸去世，幸存的配偶的社安金就会自动变成已去世成员的高社安金。比如，妻子从62岁开始领取社保，每年领取3万美元。丈夫等到70岁开始领取社保，每年可以领取5万美元。如果丈夫在75岁不幸去世，那么妻子就可以继承丈夫的社安金数额，变成每年领取5万美元。
因此，如果一对夫妻在62岁时需要社安金维持家庭开支，可以让低收入者尽早开始领取社保，而让高收入者推迟到70岁领取。这样，既可以弥补退休早期的的家庭收入，也能保证后期的高社安金收入。这就是著名的62/70策略。
当然，如果家庭有足够的被动收入或者个人退休金保证家庭生活开支，那么两个人最好还是等到完全退休年龄甚至70岁以后，再开始领取社保。这样，终其一生，可以领取更多的社安金。
如果一个家庭不需要社安金作为生活开支的补充，那么他们可以把社安金存起来并进行投资，以应付晚年的特殊开支、甚至作为遗产。在这种情况下，应该何时开始取社保呢？
还是以我为例。如果我从62岁开始每年领取3.06万美元。并投资在标普500指数基金里。按照历史平均值，扣除通货膨胀后，该基金的平均年化收益率是7%。那么到82岁时，我拥有的资产就是137万美元。
如果我推迟到70岁开始每年领取5.78万美元，同样的投资策略下，到82岁时，我拥有的资产就是116万。这比62岁开始领取少了15%！
事实上，二者的平衡点不再是82岁，而是95岁！到那个岁数，不管何时开始取社安金，我都将积累360万美元左右的资产。
因此，如果你计划把社保安作为投资资产而不是生活花费的话，提前开始领取多半是个更好的策略。
延伸阅读：
投资科普#10：神奇的累积投资倍数 投资科普#30：为什么标普500指数可以独步天下？ 投资经验#2：我的极简投资组合更多我的博客文章>>>
退休后领取美国社安金的最佳年龄 巴菲特的退休资金配置靠谱吗？ 投资科普#54：70后的好运真的无法复制吗？ 三百万美元退休金是怎样炼成的？ 简析4%退休资金取钱法则每次你出来算数字我就得出来跟你捣乱。。。
天下事岂能都是这么简单一算的。。。
还有税的考虑，现在拿多少，RMD是多少，可以减免税的大额项目比如贷款利息的时间表等等，每个人大有不同。
好多年呢。
没忍住.
不过谢谢你让我开心一笑.
健康，平均寿命有下降的趋势，新冠疫苗打完更不好说了。
为了避免RMD，提前退休，减少w-2收入，每年做ROTH Conversion.
总之，个人账也得个人自己算吧？
其实SS在62-70岁之间的任何一个时刻，你都可以"退休"，只是早退少得、迟退多得。
67岁只是在62-70岁之间的某一刻度可以， 并不让你获得更多、或者更少的SS。
可政府用"完全退休"(Full retirement)一词给大家一个强烈的暗示: "大家差不多可以在67岁退休了，在这之前，尽量不要早退"。
这跟婚姻法差不多，如果法定结婚年龄是20岁，并不意味着大家20岁都要结婚。大家可以在20-40岁之间任意一个时刻结婚，甚至永远不结婚。
If the wife hasn't worked and is eligible for Social Security benefits based on her spouse's earnings, she can typically receive up to 50% of her husband's full retirement benefit if she claims at her full retirement age. However, if she claims benefits earlier, such as at age 62, her benefits will be reduced.
The reduction in benefits for claiming early is based on the number of months before her full retirement age she starts receiving benefits. For those born between 1943 and 1954, full retirement age is 66. For each month before full retirement age that benefits are claimed, there's a reduction of about 6.67%.
So, if her husband's full retirement benefit is $40,000 per year, and assuming she has a full retirement age of 66, and she claims benefits at age 62, her benefit amount could be approximately 35-37.5% of his benefit, depending on her exact birth year. This would result in a benefit of around $14,000 to $15,000 per year. However, this is just a rough estimate and the actual amount can vary based on individual circumstances and Social Security regulations at the time of application. It's always a good idea to check with the Social Security Administration for the most accurate information.
就是 50%×70%=35%, 不是50％。
0.7 *（X-62）=1.0 * （X-67）
X=78.7
各人都应该用自己的情况和打算推算一下
他也40多，他孩子还没上大学 LOL
到那时候可以要求拿他的一半？ 谢谢
亏了，但从总数看，还是活得越长越赚。我觉的老流们如在65岁或之前退休，65岁拿不早。
多谢居士分享！如果62-70岁还在工作且考虑高income tax (35%)， 62岁开始取社安金（$2554）是否还是最佳选择？
Hi 硅谷居士,
I am looking SS benefits policy about how to calculate my family and my wife SS income based on my actual SS income. I just taken my SS benefit a few months ago with two years delay on 69. I full retirement benefit at $3100/month. With 2-year delay, I current SS benefit at $3616/month. Because I have a child under 18, I can take filmily package benefit with 75% of my SS benefit. However, I worked with a SS official to calculate my family benefit and my wife benefit. This official calculated my family benefit and my wife benefit only based on my full SS benefits $3100 not based on my delayed SS benefit $3616. Have you known or do you know how or where to find this SS policy/document related to delay retirement 8% per year reward only for the retired person, not benefit for the retired person family and spouse? I feel this is not fair or mislead, I would like to collect related the information and make another appointment with SS official to discuss this.
Thank you very much for your great article.
Look forward to hearing from you.
James
它默认的是未来一直保持最近一年的收入。你也可以手动更改，它会自动重新计算。比如改成零，它就显示你现在就辞职不干了，等到62，67，70岁可以领取的社保收入。
Thank you very much for your help. I tried to find this related SS policy and could not find any. So made a 2 year delay retirement disition. I lose about $130,000 ($3100+$2325 (family 75% benefit) *24 months) 2 year delayed benefits. If this policy is true, I naver catch up this lose!
Where i can fine this SS policy? Via ss.org?
Thanks for you help,
Dr. James
居士又一篇好文！Many comments are very informative too! I learned a lot from posts of 居士 and other people. I would like to share my ideas. It appears we should claim SSN income no later than the January of the next year after stop working. I would like to learn if we should claim as soon as we stop working if we have relatively high income, since our income is taxed years.
Whis is the best time we should retire? I think it depends on what time retirement would bring us the most happiness. If you are free from financial worry but the size of your asset matters a lot to your happiness, you may be better off pushing off your retirement date. Certainly it also depends on how you enjoy the work you are doing and many other factors. Thanks a lot!
说的投资