Getting married is a personal milestone for many Americans, but it also has a huge effect on your finances, now and far into the future. For many couples tying the knot, Social Security and retirement probably aren't on their minds. But it's useful to have at least a basic understanding of how marriage affects these benefits. Here's what you need to know.
Marriage opens the doors to new benefits
Workers are eligible for Social Security retirement benefits beginning when they turn 62 as long as they've worked long enough to earn 40 credits. One credit is defined as $1,730 in earnings in 2024, and you can earn a maximum of four credits per year.
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Married workers are also eligible for a spousal benefit as long as their partner worked long enough to qualify for Social Security. You can claim a spousal benefit even if you've never worked a day in your life. So married couples are effectively guaranteed two Social Security checks in retirement as long as at least one partner worked enough to qualify.
It can also lead to bigger benefits
The Social Security Administration automatically pays each married individual the larger of their own Social Security benefit or their spousal benefit. However, you cannot claim a spousal benefit until the worker is receiving checks.
The maximum spousal benefit is one-half of the worker's benefit at their full retirement age (FRA). That's somewhere between 66 and 67 for today's workers. Early claiming on the worker's part could shrink their own benefit, but it won't hurt their partner's spousal benefit. However, if the spouse claims Social Security early, they could reduce the size of their spousal benefit checks.
To give you an idea of how this works, if the worker qualifies for a $2,000 monthly benefit at their FRA of 67, their partner would be eligible for a spousal benefit of up to $1,000. But the spouse could lose as much as 35% by claiming early, reducing their checks to just $650 per month. If their own retirement benefit is larger than this spousal benefit, the Social Security Administration would pay the spouse their own benefit.
Benefits can last beyond the marriage itself
Though no newly married couple likes to think about it, divorce happens. Those who split before they've been married for at least 10 years will not be able to claim spousal benefits on their ex's work record. But those who split after the 10-year mark will have that option, so long as they haven't remarried. Whether your ex remarries is irrelevant.
Those who do remarry will be able to claim a spousal benefit on their new partner's record, but not on their ex's. Again, you won't have the option to do this until your new partner applies for Social Security themselves, and you may not get a spousal benefit if your own Social Security retirement benefit is worth more.
Spouses and ex-spouses could also be eligible for survivors benefits if the worker dies. These benefits are worth up to the worker's full Social Security benefit. Spouses and ex-spouses (if they were married to the deceased for at least 10 years) can begin claiming these at 60 or as early as 50 if they're disabled. Spouses and ex-spouses of any age and marriage length may also claim these if they're caring for the deceased worker's child who is under 16 or who has a disability that began before age 22.
Remarriage rules for survivor's benefits are a little different than those for spousal benefits. Remarrying before age 60 will cost you your survivors benefits, but remarrying after this age won't. However, if your new spousal benefit is worth more than your survivor's benefit, the government will switch you over to this.
Coordinating with your spouse is key
Couples who hope to get the most money from the program should coordinate their Social Security claiming strategy. Remember, every month you delay Social Security increases your checks a little. This stops at your FRA for spousal benefits, but retirement benefits can grow as long as 70.
When both partners have earned similar amounts over their careers, they often do best by delaying benefits as long as possible. But when there's a significant income imbalance, sometimes the lower earner chooses to claim first. This gives the couple a little money to supplement their personal savings while the higher earner delays until they qualify for larger checks. Then, when they apply, the Social Security Administration swaps the lower earner to a spousal benefit if it's worth more than what they're currently getting.
It helps to have a claiming age for each person in mind, even if you're far from retiring. But feel free to adjust this over time as needed. Just keep your partner in the loop so you both know what you can expect from the program.
