Why You Might NOT Get Half of Your Spouse’s Social Security (3 Rules)

In this video Colin Exelby, CFP® breaks down how spousal social security works.

You may have heard that spousal Social Security benefits can pay up to half of your spouse’s benefit—but that’s not always how it works. In fact, many people are surprised when they receive much less than expected, often because they misunderstood the rules or listened to outdated advice. In this video, I break down exactly how spousal benefits are calculated, the common misconceptions around “getting half,” and why timing matters more than most people realize. I’ll walk you through examples, including how to calculate a spousal top-off, what happens if one spouse claims early, and why delayed benefits don’t increase your spousal amount—but could still help in the long run, especially with survivor benefits

#SocialSecurity #SpousalBenefits #RetirementPlanning #SocialSecurityExplained #SocialSecurityMyths #FinancialPlanning #RetirementTips #SocialSecurity2025 #SpousalTopOff #OpenSocialSecurity

00:00-Intro

00:45-Why Spousal Benefits Don’t Always Equal Half

02:25-Breaking Down the Two Components

03:15-How to Calculate the Spousal Top-Off

04:10-Why Timing Matters

05:27-An Example Using Open Social Security

06:20-What About Delaying? Does It Help?

07:45-A Common Strategy: Split Claiming

08:27-Longevity & Tax Planning Considerations

08:44-Final Thoughts: Know the Rules Before You Claim

✅Open Social Security: https://opensocialsecurity.com/

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[About] Colin Exelby is a Certified Financial Planner Professional™ or CFP®. He owns the virtual financial advisory practice Celestial Wealth Management.

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