Abstract
When a person should begin taking Social Security retirement benefits is a critical question for planning one’s retirement. This article explains the various factors at play in determining the optimum starting point, including: longevity considerations; spousal implications, whether for a previously employed or a previously unemployed spouse; the impact of post-retirement employment; the availability of health insurance prior to Medicare eligibility for the worker and the worker’s spouse; alternative sources of retirement income, including distributions from retirement savings plan assets and lifetime liquidation of nonretirement assets (and the pertinent income tax ramifications); and anticipated investment strategies.
Disciplines
Law and Economics
Date of this Version
August 2008
Recommended Citation
Richard L. Kaplan, "A Guide to Starting Social Security Benefits" (August 2008). University of Illinois Law and Economics Working Papers. Working Paper 102.
http://law.bepress.com/uiuclwps/art102