Social Security Claiming Strategies for South Carolina Couples

For most married folks here in the Upstate, Social Security is the singlelargest source of guaranteed, inflation-adjusted income they'll have inretirement. And yet the decision of when and how to claim it isone of the most rushed, least understood choices people make. Folks willagonize for weeks over which car to buy, then make a six-figure Social Securitydecision in an afternoon.

Here's the good news, folks — getting it right isn't about luck. It'sabout understanding a few key rules and coordinating them as a couple,not as two individuals. After helping thousands of retirees across Greenville,Spartanburg, and Anderson, here's what every South Carolina couple should know.

First, Know Your Full Retirement Age

Your Full Retirement Age (FRA) is the age at which you're entitledto 100% of your benefit. For anyone born in 1960 or later, that's age 67.¹This is the anchor for every decision that follows, because claiming earlier orlater is measured against it.

You can see your own estimated benefit anytime by creating a free accountat ssa.gov.² It's the first thing we'd encourage any couple to do.

The Three Timing Choices

Broadly, you have three windows to claim, and each has consequences:

1. Claim early (as soon as age 62). You get checks sooner, but     they're permanently reduced — potentially by around 30% compared to your     FRA benefit.¹
2. Claim at Full Retirement Age     (67). You receive 100% of your benefit.
3. Delay past FRA (up to age 70). Your benefit grows by roughly 8%     per year thanks to delayed retirement credits — a guaranteed,     government-backed increase you can't easily replicate anywhere else.¹

There's no universally "right" choice. It depends on yourhealth, your other income, and — crucially for couples — how the two benefitswork together.

Why Couples Must Plan Together

Here's where it gets important, folks. A single person only has their ownbenefit to consider. A couple has two benefits, two lifeexpectancies, and a survivor decision waiting down the road. That changeseverything.

A few coordination strategies worth understanding:

• Spousal benefits. A lower-earning spouse may be     entitled to a benefit of up to 50% of the higher earner's FRA amount —     sometimes more than their own work record would provide.¹
• Survivor benefits. When one spouse passes, the     lower of the two checks goes away, and the survivor keeps the higher one.     This is the big one couples overlook.
• The "delay the higher     earner" play. Because the survivor inherits the larger benefit, it often makes     sense for the higher-earning spouse to delay as long as possible —     maximizing the check that will protect whichever spouse lives longer.

The Survivor Trap Nobody Warns YouAbout

This deserves its own moment, because it's the part that catches couplesoff guard. When one spouse passes away, the household doesn't keep both SocialSecurity checks — it keeps only the larger one. Expenses don't fall byhalf, but income can drop substantially.

That's why a savvy claiming strategy isn't just about maximizing incomewhile you're both alive. It's about protecting the surviving spouse for whatcould be many years afterward. Building that survivor adjustment into your planbefore it's needed is one of the kindest things you can do for theperson you love.

Watch the Earnings Test

If you claim before your Full Retirement Age and you're still working,beware the earnings test. Earn above a certain threshold and SocialSecurity may temporarily withhold a portion of your check.¹ We've seen folksclaim early, keep working, and watch much of their benefit vanish to penaltiesthey never saw coming. After FRA, the earnings test disappears entirely — youcan work as much as you like.

Don't Leave Money on the Table

Here's a real-world flavor of why running the numbers matters. Picture ahypothetical couple — Jim and Donna from Anderson. They'd done their homework,talked to friends, and decided they'd both simply claim at Full Retirement Age.Reasonable enough. But when we ran their situation through our Social Securityplanning software, we discovered Donna qualified for a spousal benefit theyhadn't known about — worth a few hundred extra dollars a month for the rest ofher life. Multiply that across a long retirement, and it's real money they'dhave otherwise left on the table.

The point isn't that one strategy fits everyone. It's that the rules aregenuinely complicated, and a little expert analysis can uncover options youdidn't know existed. We've sat with countless couples across the Upstate whoarrived certain about their plan, only to discover a spousal or survivorstrategy worth tens of thousands of dollars over their lifetimes. You pay intothis system for 30 or 40 years — it's worth an hour to make sure you collectevery dollar you're entitled to.

A Note on Social Security's Future

Couples often ask, "Will it even be there?" Fair question. Thetrust fund faces a projected shortfall in the next decade — current trusteeestimates suggest roughly 77–81% of scheduled benefits would still bepayable even if Congress does nothing, which it has strong incentive toaddress.³ The takeaway isn't panic; it's that Social Security should be onelayer of your income, not your entire plan.

Where This Fits in Your Plan

Social Security claiming is a cornerstone of the income planningpillar — the first of the five pillars of the Common Sense Retirement Roadmap.Coordinated properly, it works hand in hand with your investments, taxstrategy, healthcare planning, and legacy.

Let's Run Your Numbers Together

The claiming decision is too important — and too permanent — to guess at.We'd be glad to run your specific situation through our planning software andshow you, dollar for dollar, how your options compare. We have offices in Greenville,Spartanburg, and Anderson, and your first consultation is alwayscomplimentary and no-obligation.

Whether you're in Travelers Rest, near Clemson, or right downtown, bringyour spouse and let's make sure you get every dollar you've earned. There's nopressure and no cost to simply sit down and see your options laid out side byside — and even if you never become a client, you'll walk away knowing exactlywhere you stand. Common sense is what defines us.

References

1. Social Security Administration.     Retirement Benefits / Benefits Planner. Accessed June 2026. https://www.ssa.gov/benefits/retirement/
2. Social Security Administration.     my Social Security account. Accessed June 2026. https://www.ssa.gov/myaccount/
3. Social Security Administration,     Board of Trustees. The 2025 Annual Report of the OASDI Trustees. 2025. https://www.ssa.gov/oact/TR/2025/

Securities and advisory services offered only by dulyregistered individuals through Madison Avenue Securities LLC, member FINRA/SIPCand a Registered Investment Advisor. MAS and Phillip Allen Inc. or Common SenseRetirement Planning are not affiliated entities. Artificial Intelligence wasused to create this content. The information and opinions contained hereinprovided by third parties have been obtained from sources believed to bereliable, but accuracy and completeness cannot be guaranteed by Common SenseRetirement Planning.
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