“If your spouse died tomorrow, what would your Social Security income look like the following month?”

It’s an uncomfortable question, but it’s one of the most critical scenarios to model as you approach retirement. When one spouse passes away, one Social Security check disappears entirely—often leaving the surviving spouse with a sudden and substantial income gap.

In this episode of Pre-Retirement Navigated, host Will Hoffman dives into Year 3 of the five-year runway to retirement: Building Your Defenses. He explores how to stress-test your income streams, optimize Social Security claiming strategies, and protect your portfolio from severe market downturns early in retirement.

Key Takeaways From This Episode:

• The Survivor Income Gap: How Social Security survivor benefits actually work when a spouse passes, and why losing one check creates an unexpected tax and lifestyle burden.
• Social Security Claiming Math: The impact of claiming early at age 62 versus delaying until age 70, understanding your break-even age, and securing the highest possible lifetime payout for a surviving spouse.
• Sequence of Returns Risk: Why experiencing market declines in the first few years of retirement can devastate a portfolio, and how to structure defensive cash reserves.
• Protecting Your Income: How to safeguard your essential expenses and bridge potential income shortfalls without falling for high-fee financial products.
• Whether you are 55 or 65, the defensive strategies you implement three years out ensure your retirement plan remains resilient through life’s unexpected events.

Episode Resources:

• Download the Free Pre-Retirement Checklist: — Analyze where you currently stand, where you need to go, and what work still needs to be done.
• Book a Complimentary Discovery Call: — Schedule a zero-pressure conversation with our team to discuss your specific timeline and see if we’re a fit.
• Watch the Companion YouTube Video Series: — Prefer a more formal, scripted, and structured video breakdown?