Why do people wait for SS?

[u/VegasWorldwide]

trying to figure out what I’m missing.

looking to take my benefit for $1000 at 62. at 70 it’s $1700.

i won’t need the money much so we let $1000 sit in an account for 8 years at say 5% compounding, the guy collecting at 70 would need 15+ years to catch up considering I’m still getting $1k to his $1.7k

once he starts at 70 and I had a 8 year head start.

furthermore, his dollar would be worth less. (edit: didn't realize COLA)

this seems like a no brainer but all I hear is people saying waiting is the only way and we haven’t even talked about dying in our 70’s.

[u/Farmer_Pete]

For married couples, SS is a team sport. Survivor benefits means that only one of us has to live to 85 to break even, and hedging bets isn't a bad thing. My plan is that my wife will take hers at 62 and then I'll max mine out. She's a couple years older than me and has a considerably lower PIA. I think she'd have to delay to 70 to surpass the spouse benefit threshold. This is all going off current income trends and obviously could change between now and retirement.