What is the best Social Security claiming strategy for a married couple?

A common high-value approach is to have the lower earner claim earlier to start some income, while the higher earner delays to age 70 to maximize both their own check and the eventual survivor benefit. Because survivor benefits equal up to 100% of the higher earner's amount, delaying that record protects whichever spouse lives longer — and statistically one of you will live into your late 80s or 90s. Health, cash needs, and the age gap between you all factor in; a couple in poor health or with no other savings may need to claim earlier. The decision is really about the couple's joint life expectancy, not either individual's. Because the math is genuinely complex, run both records side by side at wealthserene.com/tools/social-security-optimizer before locking anything in.