Skip to content
CRR logo
Submit Search
Advanced Search
Join E-mail List | Contact Us
  • Topics
  • Publications
  • Initiatives
  • Data
  • Sponsors
  • Opportunities
  • About Us
  • Search

When Should Married Men Claim Social Security Benefits?

March 18, 2008
Share
Mobile Share Email Facebook Twitter LinkedIn

Issue Brief by Anthony Webb, Steven A. Sass, and Wei Sun

Introduction

Most married men claim Social Security benefits at age 62 or 63, well short of the age that maximizes the expected present value of the average household’s benefits.  That many married men “leave money on the table” is surprising.  It is also problematic.  It results in much lower benefits for surviving spouses and the low incomes of elderly widows are a major social problem.  If married men delayed claiming Social Security benefits, retirement income security would significantly improve.  This brief focuses on the potential gains from delayed claiming and the factors that may influence claiming behavior.  It then considers possible policy responses.

Social Security Card: Senior woman holding card in hand on white background
Social Security Card: Senior woman holding card in hand on white background
Author(s)
Headshot of Anthony Webb
Anthony Webb
Headshot of Steven A. Sass
Steven A. Sass
Headshot of Wei Sun
Wei Sun
Downloads
PDF Version
Citation

Webb, , Steven A. Sass, and Wei Sun. 2008. "When Should Married Men Claim Social Security Benefits?" Issue in Brief 8-4. Chestnut Hill, MA: Center for Retirement Research at Boston College.

Copy citation to clipboard
Associated Project(s)
  • BC07-06
Topics
Social Security
Publication Type
Issue Brief
Publication Number
IB#8-4
Related Content
For related Working Paper
Related Articles
Senior black woman calculating her retirement annuity at home

What Is the Insurance Value of Social Security by Race and Socioeconomic Status?

Working Paper by Karolos Arapakis, Gal Wettstein, and Yimeng Yin

September 28, 2023
Senior couple on a laptop computer at the kitchen table

How Does the Social Security Claiming Process Vary by Race?

Issue Brief by Jean-Pierre Aubry

September 12, 2023
resized

COVID Tested Resilience of Older Americans

Squared Away Blog by Kimberly Blanton

April 18, 2023
About us
Contact
Join e-mail list
Facebook Twitter LinkedIn YouTube RSS

© 2023 Trustees of Boston College, Center for Retirement Research|Terms of Use|Privacy Policy|Accessibility

This website uses cookies to improve your experience. We also use IP addresses, domain information and other access statistics to administer the site and analyze usage trends. If you prefer to opt out, you can select Update settings. Read our Privacy Policy. Accept
Privacy & Cookies Policy

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these cookies, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may have an effect on your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
Non-necessary
Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.
SAVE & ACCEPT