am trying to determine the best time for my spouse and I to start taking our Social Security retirement benefits and would like to understand the breakeven age. What insights can you share with me?

As you approach retirement, one of the most important financial decisions you will face is when to begin collecting Social Security retirement benefits. A useful concept to guide your thinking is the “breakeven age,” which helps you evaluate the trade-off between taking a reduced benefit at a younger age versus a higher benefit at an older age. Here is what you should know.

Social Security Waiting Game

You are allowed to begin collecting your Social Security retirement benefits as early as age 62. However, your monthly benefit will be permanently reduced by approximately 0.5% each month you claim before your full retirement age (FRA). FRA is 67 for those born in 1960 or later. Conversely, for every year you delay claiming beyond your FRA, your benefit amount increases 8% each year. Benefits max out at age 70, so there is no financial incentive to wait past age 70.

Breakeven Age

The breakeven age is the point when the total benefits from waiting to claim equal the total you would have received by claiming earlier. If you live past that age, delaying pays off. If you do not live past that age, claiming early pays more. The breakeven age is a simple benchmark for retirement planning.

The exact breakeven age varies based on individual circumstances, but is often illustrated by comparing between claiming at age 62 versus waiting until FRA. For most people, the breakeven age for this scenario is around 78. Another common comparison is claiming at FRA versus waiting to age 70. Under this scenario, the average breakeven age is around 82.

Other Considerations

Keep in mind that while the breakeven age is a powerful tool, it is just one piece of the puzzle. It does not account for other crucial factors like your health and family longevity. If you have chronic health problems or a family history of shorter lifespans, taking a reduced benefit early might be the most prudent choice to ensure you receive a significant number of payments.

On the other hand, if you are in good health and expect to live a long life, delaying your benefits to age 70 can provide a much higher income stream that acts as a form of longevity insurance. To estimate your life expectancy, there are online tools that can calculate your life expectancy based on a series of questions.

Furthermore, a married couple’s claiming strategy can be complex. The higher-earning spouse’s decision can significantly impact the survivor benefits for the lower-earning spouse. Waiting for the higher earner to claim at age 70 can provide a larger benefit for the surviving spouse for the rest of their life.

In the end, there is no one-size-fits-all answer. The breakeven age provides a useful framework for comparison, but the decision of when to claim your benefits should consider your health, financial situation and family.

Online Calculators

There are several online calculators that can help you and your spouse determine the best time to claim your benefits. Some calculators are offered for free, whereas others that charge a fee can handle more advanced scenarios based on your particular circumstances.

Savvy Living is written by Jim Miller, a regular contributor to the NBC Today Show and author of "The Savvy Living” book. Any links in this article are offered as a service and there is no endorsement of any product. These articles are offered as a helpful and informative service to our friends and may not always reflect this organization’s official position on some topics. Jim invites you to send your senior questions to: Savvy Living, P.O. Box 5443, Norman, OK 73070.