Beyond Break Even: What Women Over 40 Need to Know About Social Security

Social Security may not sound exciting—but when you're over 40, understanding it can make a major difference in how you prepare for retirement.

Host Sherri O. sits down with Russ Gaiser, MBA, CFP®, CSSCS®, and Mike Hoeflich, MBA, CSSCS®, CLTC®, co-authors of the #1 bestseller Beyond Break Even: The Essential Guide to Social Security Optimization and co-founders of Retirement Income HQ of America.

Russ and Mike believe Social Security shouldn't be treated as an isolated decision or simply a question of, “When will I break even?” Instead, they encourage people to look at the bigger picture: Social Security, taxes, investments, longevity, survivor benefits, and the amount of personal wealth you'll need to fund the retirement you want.

And for women, those decisions can be especially important. Women may experience career interruptions, earn less over their lifetimes, become caregivers, face unexpected job loss in midlife, outlive a spouse or eventually find themselves managing retirement finances alone. That's why understanding your options before retirement matters.

In this episode, Sherri, Russ and Mike discuss:

• Why women should start thinking about Social Security well before retirement

• The problem with making Social Security decisions based only on “break-even” age

• Why claiming Social Security early isn't automatically the best—or worst—decision

• How Social Security can work together with your investments and retirement income

• How claiming decisions can affect a surviving spouse, and more.

One particularly powerful takeaway? Your Social Security decision isn't just about when you collect a check. It's about how that decision fits into the rest of your financial life.

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