Last Updated: December 16, 2025

The vast majority of us hope to live a long, healthy life. But the reality is, many people will pass away before they reach the average lifespan of an American adult, while others will surpass this threshold. And barring a best estimate, no one quite knows where they lie on the bell curve of life. 

The current life expectancy for females at age 65 in the U.S. is 85.2 years, and 82.5 for males. But there’s no way to say how long you’ll live.¹ However, you can look at your family history for clues. If you have a fair amount of chronic disease in your family, like cancer, diabetes or dementia, you might feel comfortable with a mindset that allows you to claim early and use the money you’ve earned while you’re still relatively young and healthy. 

Despite the fuzzy science that goes into estimating your longevity, it’s helpful to have some idea of your spouse’s and your own potential lifespan since it has a serious impact on when you should elect Social Security benefits. Would you want to claim your benefits at the age of 62 if you knew you would live past 100? Similarly, would you want to wait until age 70 in an attempt to get the largest check possible if you knew you would only live to 72? In both cases, the answer is likely no. 

Separately, if your spouse is dependent on your benefits (or vice versa), you should factor in both your longevity and how that might impact lifetime income. Women generally have a longer lifespan than their male counterparts. So if your spouse depends on your benefits, does it make sense to elect early knowing they could possibly outlive you? Making decisions together is the best way to ensure both you and your spouse understand the outcome. 

Deciding When to Elect

We recommend considering the following when determining the best age to tap into your Social Security benefits:

• Health and life expectancy. Fifty percent of females who are in their mid-50s today will live to be 90 compared to one out of three men.² Women tend to outlive men, and this could cause financial strife if you’re not appropriately prepared. Further, underlying health conditions for either spouse could prompt you both to take advantage of Social Security benefits earlier rather than later.
• Whether someone else qualifies for your benefits. Delaying benefits can maximize your benefits if someone other than you, such as a spouse or dependent child, is eligible to receive benefits on your Social Security record.
• Other sources of income. Perhaps living off of other investments, a pension or annuity, or another source of passive income is an option, and you can delay benefits for maximum advantage. 
• Whether you're still working. If you haven't yet reached full retirement age and are healthy enough to work, it might be worth postponing retirement until you reach full retirement age, so you can collect 100 percent of your benefits.

SOURCES

1. “Data Brief 492. Mortality in the United States, 2022.” CDC, December 2023, https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/databriefs/db492-tables.pdf#1. Accessed 16 December 2025.
2. “Society of Actuaries (SOA) Age Wise Longevity Infographic Series.” Society of Actuaries, https://www.soa.org/research/age-wise. Accessed 16 December 2025.