Bridging the Gap: How to Delay Social Security the Smart Way

The facts of Social Security are straightforward: You can start taking Social Security as early as age 62. You’ll get the biggest possible benefit if you wait until age 70.
The tricky part lies in between.

How do you fund those years if you want to delay claiming?

That’s where the idea of a bridge strategy comes in. But before diving into strategies, it’s important to understand why this matters, and why waiting isn’t always the right move for everyone.

The Case for Delaying (Sometimes)

Every year you delay Social Security past your full retirement age (typically 66–67), your benefit increases by roughly 8%. For someone eligible for $2,000 a month at full retirement age, waiting until 70 would boost that to about $2,480—a 77% increase over the benefit they'd receive at age 62.

That’s a strong return, especially for something backed by the U.S. government and adjusted for inflation. For retirees with a long life expectancy, this higher guaranteed income can provide meaningful security later in life, when investment risk tolerance may decline.

Still, not everyone should delay.

If you're in poor health, need income now, or don’t have other assets to draw from, claiming earlier may make more sense. What matters most isn’t just maximizing the dollar amount, it’s aligning the decision with your real-life circumstances.

What’s a Bridge Strategy?

A bridge strategy is simply a way to fund your lifestyle in the years between retirement and the date you begin claiming Social Security.

If you want to delay benefits until age 70 but plan to retire at 65, you’ll need a plan for how to cover those five years. That might mean continuing to work, drawing from your investment accounts, or using a portion of your assets to create a steady stream of income.

Some people consider annuities for this purpose, but they're not the only option, and they’re not always the best one. You could just as easily design a drawdown strategy from your portfolio or allocate cash reserves specifically for this interim window.

Tradeoffs and Considerations

A bridge strategy can increase your total lifetime income from Social Security and reduce the risk of outliving your assets. But it comes with some tradeoffs:

Portfolio risk. Drawing from investments early could expose you to market volatility, especially if returns are poor in the early years.
Lower inheritance potential. Using your own assets to fund the delay might reduce the amount you leave behind.
Complexity. It requires thoughtful coordination of income, taxes, and withdrawals—ideally as part of a larger retirement plan.

The right answer depends on your priorities: Are you focused on maximizing guaranteed lifetime income? Reducing market exposure? Preserving wealth for heirs? Supporting a surviving spouse?

These are personal questions, and they deserve a personalized strategy.

When to Claim? There’s No One-Size-Fits-All

There’s a lot of noise out there about “always delay until 70,” but that advice doesn’t fit everyone.

Sometimes the best option is to claim earlier and preserve your investments. Other times, it makes sense to wait and create a bridge with your own assets. The key is to understand your full financial picture—income sources, longevity risk, tax situation, and lifestyle goals.

That’s why we help clients run Social Security optimization analyses tailored to their unique circumstances. It’s not about finding a universal best answer. It’s about finding your best answer.

Bottom Line

Delaying Social Security can be a powerful move, but only if it fits into a broader, well-coordinated retirement plan. A thoughtful bridge strategy can help you get there, but it’s not something to guess your way through.

We’re here to help you evaluate your options, model the tradeoffs, and build a retirement income plan that balances today’s needs with tomorrow’s security.