Claiming order determines how much value a household captures from Social Security’s longevity, survivor, and inflation-protected annuity features. For a couple with full retirement age benefits of $3,200 and $1,800 at 67, claiming at 64 reduces each benefit by about 13% due to early-claim reductions. Delaying up to 70 adds about 8% per year through delayed credits and cost-of-living adjustments. If both claim at 64, benefits total $4,334 per month and reach about $1.09 million by age 85. If the lower earner claims at 64 and the higher earner waits until 70, the higher earner’s benefit rises to about $4,224 per month, and lifetime benefits from 70 to 85 are much higher, reaching roughly $5.0 million in the example’s trajectory.
"That single choice, made out of fatigue rather than math, can quietly cost a household six figures."
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