The Social Security Strategy That Disappeared And What Replaced It

In 2015 Congress quietly eliminated one of the most powerful Social Security claiming strategies married couples had been building their retirement plans around for years. File and suspend allowed one spouse to file for benefits and immediately suspend collection — enabling the other spouse to claim spousal benefits while the filing spouse’s own benefit continued growing. It was eliminated almost overnight by the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2015. Couples who had planned years ahead around this approach found themselves recalculating their entire retirement income strategy with almost no notice. But what most people do not know is that a related strategy called the restricted application still exists for Americans born on or before January 1 1954. It allows eligible individuals to claim only the spousal benefit while their own benefit continues growing until age 70. For Americans born after January 2 1954 deemed filing applies instead — meaning claiming any benefit automatically claims all benefits simultaneously with no strategic flexibility remaining. One birth date — January 2 1954 — is the dividing line between two completely different sets of Social Security rules for married couples. Most couples have never been told this line exists. This video tells the complete story of file and suspend its elimination and what the restricted application and deemed filing rules mean for couples navigating the Social Security claiming decision today. #SocialSecurity #RetirementPlanning #ClaimingStrategy #MarriedCouples #The9thZer00