Social Security Roadmap · by Mark Enis, RSSA®
Don't Make the $100,000 Social Security Mistake!
Get your personalized Social Security Roadmap (your claiming options, side by side), prepared by a Registered Social Security Analyst.
YES! Show Me My Roadmap Options →See both options · no payment until you approve the invoiceDepending on earnings, household and lifespan, the difference between start dates can top $100,000. Your numbers will be different.
SAMPLE REPORT
What one Roadmap showed
Same Couple. Same Work History. $230,641 Apart.
Here's a page from a sample Roadmap I prepared for a fictional married couple. Nothing changes between these columns except WHEN they start.
Illustrative sample, not a client result
*Fictional sample couple, ages 65 and 64 when the report was run; some earlier start dates shown (such as both at 62) had already passed, so this is an illustration, not options they still have. Monthly amounts are their combined estimated benefits in the year the younger spouse turns 71, in today's dollars, not their first checks. "Lifetime value" adds up all their future benefits and converts them into what they're worth in today's money (present value), assuming they live to 90 and 95, 2.25% inflation and a 5% return. Your numbers will be different.
Most People Make This Decision With a Guess.
- "I'll start at 62 because I can."
- "My neighbor started at 65, so I will too."
- "I'll start when I sign up for Medicare."
- "I'll figure it out when I file." By then, the paperwork is in front of you, not your household's options side by side.
Once you start, your check is mostly LOCKED IN FOR LIFE. For a married couple, it can also affect what the surviving spouse keeps.
The time to compare your options is while they're still open.
What's inside your Roadmap
Your Social Security Decision, Laid Out on Paper
Your Roadmap is prepared from your benefit information using RSSA Roadmap® software, the same tool Registered Social Security Analysts use nationwide. Here's what you'll see (shown with the sample couple):
1. Your Claiming Options, Color-Coded
A heatmap of start-age options for you and your spouse, estimated under your report's assumptions. Blue gets better, orange is the highest.
No more guessing which year "feels right."
Takeaway: in the sample, the highest lifetime value came from both waiting to 70.
2. Your Monthly Benefit at Each Age
Compare your estimated monthly benefits at different claiming ages, before deductions such as Medicare premiums or tax withholding.
Takeaway: the later they start, the bigger the estimated monthly benefit.
3. What Your Spouse Keeps If One of You Dies
When one spouse dies, the household goes from TWO Social Security checks to ONE. Your claiming age can affect the income your spouse receives after your death.
Takeaway: the start date also changes what the surviving spouse lives on.
4. "What If" We Don't Live as Long?
Nobody knows how long they'll live, so your Roadmap tests other lifespans too.
In the sample, if the husband lived only to 75, starting at full retirement age came out ahead of waiting to 70. That's exactly why a rule of thumb isn't enough.
Takeaway: if the husband lived only to 75, full retirement age beat waiting to 70.
5. Your Step-by-Step Filing Plan
Who files first, for which benefit, in which month. Take it straight to Social Security when it's time.
Takeaway: the plan spells out who files first, for which benefit, and when.
PLUS: How It Fits With Medicare and Your Healthcare Costs
Your start date can affect whether Medicare Part B starts automatically, how your premiums get paid, and how much income you'll have for healthcare in retirement.
Who it's for
A Roadmap Helps If Any of These Sound Like You
- You haven't started Social Security yet and want to compare your options first.
- You've applied, but payments haven't started. We'll look at where you stand before anything else.
- You're married and want your two claims to work together, including what a survivor keeps.
- You're widowed or divorced and want to understand survivor or ex-spouse benefits.
Already receiving benefits? Some decisions may still be open, such as a spouse's claim or survivor timing. Your Roadmap shows the options that apply to you.
Who builds your Roadmap
I'm Mark Enis, a Registered Social Security Analyst.
I co-wrote the Medicare book Medicare Breakdown, and I'm a Registered Social Security Analyst, because your Social Security decision and your Medicare decision land at the same time. I help with both.
I build every Roadmap myself from your benefit information, in plain English. With Report + Consultation, I walk you through it one-on-one by video. You make the decision. I make sure it's an informed one.
Choose your package
Two Ways to Get Your Social Security Roadmap
Report Only
$150
Digital report, emailed to you
- Your personalized Social Security Roadmap (PDF)
- Your claiming options compared: monthly, annual and lifetime estimates
- Spouse and survivor check, if it applies
- "What if" lifespan scenarios
- Your step-by-step filing plan
- Emailed within 5 business days after your invoice is paid and I have your information
- No consultation
Report + Consultation
$275
Digital report + 60-minute video consultation
- EVERYTHING in Report Only
- 60-minute one-on-one video consultation with me to walk through your Roadmap
- Get your questions answered: timing, spouse, survivor and Medicare
- See how your start date fits with Medicare and your healthcare costs
- Video call only: you'll need a computer or tablet with a camera
No payment on this page. Send your request, and I'll email your invoice and next steps. Nothing is owed until you approve the invoice.
How It Works (3 Simple Steps)
Send Your Request
Pick Report Only or Report + Consultation below. It takes about a minute.
Get Your Invoice
I email your invoice and how to share your Social Security statement from SSA.gov. Rather not send it, or can't get it? We can do a short 15-minute intake call instead (separate from the consultation). I never ask for your login.
Get Your Roadmap
Once your invoice is paid and I have your information, your report arrives by email within 5 business days. With the consultation, we then meet by video for 60 minutes.
Questions? Here Are the Answers
How Do I Pay?
After you send your request, I email you an invoice. Nothing is owed until you approve it, and I start your Roadmap once it's paid.
What's the Difference Between the Two Packages?
Report Only ($150) is your digital Roadmap by email. Report + Consultation ($275) adds a 60-minute one-on-one video call to walk through it and answer your questions.
What Do I Need for the Consultation?
A computer or tablet with a camera and an internet connection. The consultation is by video call only.
How Long Does It Take?
Your report is emailed within 5 business days after your invoice is paid and I have your information.
Do I Need to Give You My Social Security Number?
No. The Roadmap is built from your earnings history (your Social Security statement), not your Social Security number. I'll never ask for your SSA.gov login.
Are You With Social Security?
No. I'm an independent Registered Social Security Analyst with Blues Hwy Benefits. I'm not affiliated with or endorsed by the Social Security Administration or any government agency. Only Social Security can take your application and confirm your exact benefit.
I'm Already Receiving Benefits. Is It Still Useful?
It can be. Some decisions may still be open, such as a spouse's claim or survivor timing. Tell me your situation in the request and I'll let you know.
Is Waiting Until 70 Always Best?
No. It depends on your health, your spouse, your other income and how long you live, which is exactly what the Roadmap tests. For some people, starting earlier is the right call.
Are You Going to Try to Sell Me Something?
I'm an independent insurance agent, and I'll be upfront about that. Your Roadmap is about your Social Security decision. If it shows a gap in retirement income or healthcare costs, I'll tell you about it and your options. What you do with it is entirely your call.
About the sample. The report pages shown are from a sample Social Security Roadmap prepared for a fictional couple ("John and Jane Smith"). They're not a client result. Figures depend on each person's earnings record, ages, marital status, health, life expectancy and the assumptions used. Lifetime figures are present values under RSSA Roadmap® assumptions. Your results will differ.
The "$100,000" headline. Depending on earnings, household and lifespan, the difference between start dates can exceed $100,000. In the sample above it was $230,641 in lifetime present value. It can also be smaller, or favor starting earlier. This is not a promise of any amount.
RSSA® and RSSA Roadmap® are trademarks of the National Association of Registered Social Security Analysts (NARSSA). Mark Enis, RSSA®, is not affiliated with or endorsed by the Social Security Administration or any government agency. The Roadmap is educational and is not legal, tax or investment advice. Blues Hwy Benefits is an independent insurance agency, The MPE Group LLC.