Art Athanas, CFO, COO
Managing PartnerArt's work centers on helping clients maximize their Social Security benefits as part of a tax-efficient retirement income plan.
Read full bio →Social Security Strategy
Choose your Social Security start date with a plan, not a guess
We help you see how your claiming age, your spouse's benefits and your taxes fit together before you file.
Is this you?
If any of these sound familiar, this page is for you.
- You're between 58 and 69 and keep hearing different answers about when to claim.
- You're married and not sure how your two benefits should work together.
- You've lost a spouse and want to understand your survivor options.
- You plan to keep working part time and wonder what that does to your benefit.
- You want to know how your Social Security start date affects the rest of your retirement income.
What we look at
What a social security review covers
Your claiming window
What your benefit may look like at 62, at your full retirement age and at 70, using your own Social Security statement.
Spousal coordination
How each spouse's start date may affect the household's lifetime income and the benefit a survivor would keep.
Survivor protection
What happens to the household's Social Security income when the first spouse dies, and how timing today may shape that.
Work and earnings
Whether income from a job before full retirement age could cause benefits to be withheld for a while.
Taxes on your benefit
How other retirement income can make part of your benefit federally taxable, and how withdrawal order may affect that.
Your income gap
How Social Security fits with pensions, savings and other income so the paycheck you need is covered year by year.
Claiming ages
62, full retirement age or 70: what changes
You can start Social Security retirement benefits any time from age 62 to 70. For anyone born in 1960 or later, full retirement age is 67.
Claiming before full retirement age permanently reduces your monthly benefit. Waiting past it earns delayed retirement credits until 70, which raise the monthly amount. A larger check later means fewer years of checks, so there's no single right age for everyone.
- Claiming early: a smaller check, started sooner
- Full retirement age: your full primary benefit
- Waiting to 70: a larger monthly check, started later
- Your health, savings, work plans and marriage all change the picture
Married, widowed or divorced
Spousal and survivor benefits
A spouse may be eligible for a benefit based on the other spouse's work record, up to half of that worker's full retirement age benefit if claimed at the spouse's own full retirement age. Spousal benefits don't grow by waiting past full retirement age.
When one spouse dies, the survivor generally keeps the larger of the two benefits. That's why the higher earner's claiming age can matter for both of you, and for many years. Divorced and widowed spouses may also qualify under certain rules, so we walk through your situation with you.
The bigger picture
How your start date fits your income plan and taxes
Social Security is one piece of your retirement paycheck. If you delay it, savings may need to cover the gap for a few years. If you claim early, you may draw less from savings. Each path affects how much you withdraw, when, and from which accounts.
Depending on your other income, up to 85% of your benefit can be subject to federal income tax. Florida has no state income tax, but federal tax can still apply. Withdrawal order, Roth timing and your Social Security start date may all affect your taxes and, later, your Medicare premiums.
The tool
Take the Retirement Ready Quiz
A few short questions help you see where you stand on Social Security timing and the rest of your retirement plan. Then book a Social Security review to talk through your answers.
- Three questions, two minutes.
- Then a Social Security timing review with the team.
Retirement Ready Quiz
See where you stand on retirement timing, income and taxes, and what stands out in your situation.
Take the 2-minute quiz Book a Social Security reviewWho you’ll talk to
The licensed insurance agents for social security
Len Strickler, CEO
Managing PartnerLen is a member of the National Social Security Association and focuses on retirement income planning.
Read full bio →John Petrucco
Licensed Insurance AgentJohn brings 30 years of experience helping clients prepare for retirement, and fits your claiming decision into your wider income plan.
Read full bio →
As heard on Let’s Talk Safe Money®
Hear Len and Art explain it on the show.
Len and Art host the show on 610 WIOD. Watch more episodes in LSF University.
Watch full episodesQuestions
Common questions about social security
When is the best age to claim Social Security?
There isn't one best age for everyone. You can claim any time between 62 and 70; claiming earlier gives a smaller monthly check, and waiting gives a larger one. The right choice depends on your health, savings, work plans, marriage and taxes, which is what a review is designed to help you weigh.
How do spousal benefits work?
A spouse may receive a benefit based on the other spouse's work record, up to half of that worker's full retirement age benefit when claimed at the spouse's own full retirement age. Claiming earlier reduces it, and spousal benefits don't increase by waiting past full retirement age. Eligibility rules apply, so check your own record with Social Security.
What happens to benefits when a spouse dies?
The surviving spouse generally keeps the larger of the two benefits, and the smaller one stops. A survivor may be able to start survivor benefits as early as 60, at a reduced amount. Because the higher earner's claiming age can affect the survivor benefit, couples often plan this decision together.
Will working while collecting reduce my benefit?
If you claim before full retirement age and earn more than the annual earnings limit, Social Security may temporarily withhold some benefits. The limit changes each year, so check the current figure. Withheld amounts are not simply lost; your benefit is recalculated at full retirement age, and the earnings test no longer applies after that.
Is Social Security taxable in Florida?
Florida has no state income tax, so the state does not tax your benefit. Federal income tax can still apply: depending on your other income, up to 85% of your benefit may be federally taxable. Consult your tax professional about your situation.
How does my claiming age affect the rest of my retirement income plan?
Your start date changes how much you may need to draw from savings and when. That can affect your tax bracket, how much of your benefit is taxed, and your future Medicare premiums. We look at Social Security alongside your pension, savings and taxes rather than on its own.
Related services
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Serving Broward, Palm Beach, Miami-Dade & North Carolina
Call 954.999.0355Trafalgar Plaza, 5310 NW 33rd Ave., Suite 114, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33309 · In person, or by video from anywhere in the country
Connect with a licensed insurance agent
Take the Retirement Ready Quiz
15 minutes, no obligation. Pick a time and we’ll call you, or meet us at Trafalgar Plaza or by video.
- Topic set to Social Security, change it if you like.
- Prefer to call? 954.999.0355
Important information. This page is for educational purposes only. LSF Capital is not affiliated with, endorsed by or acting on behalf of the Social Security Administration or any government agency. Benefit amounts and examples are illustrations only; your actual benefit depends on your earnings record and current Social Security rules, which can change. Confirm your benefit estimates at ssa.gov. This is not tax or legal advice for your situation; consult your tax professional.