Social Security Claiming Strategies for South Carolina Couples

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

Here's the good news, folks — getting it right isn't about luck. It's about 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 entitled to 100% of your benefit. For anyone born in 1960 or later, that's age 67.¹ This is the anchor for every decision that follows, because claiming earlier or later is measured against it.

You can see your own estimated benefit anytime by creating a free account at 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 your health, your other income, and — crucially for couples — how the two benefits work together.

Why Couples Must Plan Together

Here's where it gets important, folks. A single person only has their own benefit to consider. A couple has two benefits, two life expectancies, and a survivor decision waiting down the road. That changes everything.

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 You About

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

That's why a savvy claiming strategy isn't just about maximizing income while you're both alive. It's about protecting the surviving spouse for what could be many years afterward. Building that survivor adjustment into your plan before it's needed is one of the kindest things you can do for the person 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 Social Security may temporarily withhold a portion of your check.¹ We've seen folks claim early, keep working, and watch much of their benefit vanish to penalties they never saw coming. After FRA, the earnings test disappears entirely — you can 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 a hypothetical 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 Security planning software, we discovered Donna qualified for a spousal benefit they hadn't known about — worth a few hundred extra dollars a month for the rest of her life. Multiply that across a long retirement, and it's real money they'd have otherwise left on the table.

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

A Note on Social Security's Future

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

Where This Fits in Your Plan

Social Security claiming is a cornerstone of the income planning pillar — the first of the five pillars of the Common Sense Retirement Roadmap. Coordinated properly, it works hand in hand with your investments, tax strategy, 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 and show you, dollar for dollar, how your options compare. We have offices in Greenville, Spartanburg, and Anderson, and your first consultation is always complimentary and no-obligation.

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

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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 duly registered individuals through Madison Avenue Securities LLC, member FINRA/SIPC and a Registered Investment Advisor. MAS and Phillip Allen Inc. or Common Sense Retirement Planning are not affiliated entities. Artificial Intelligence was used to create this content. The information and opinions contained herein provided by third parties have been obtained from sources believed to be reliable, but accuracy and completeness cannot be guaranteed by Common Sense Retirement Planning.

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The examples above are hypothetical in nature and intended for illustrative purposes only. Your results will vary. Past performance does not ensure future performance or results.