Christine Benz Urges 40-Year Retirement Plans for Age-Gap Couples, as 10-Year Gaps Hit 8%
Updated
Updated · Morningstar · Aug 20
Christine Benz Urges 40-Year Retirement Plans for Age-Gap Couples, as 10-Year Gaps Hit 8%
2 articles · Updated · Morningstar · Aug 20
Summary
Age-gap couples should plan around the younger spouse’s longer lifespan, which can stretch retirement horizons to 40 years and calls for smaller withdrawals plus higher equity exposure, Christine Benz said.
Social Security strategy is especially important when the older spouse was the higher earner: delaying claims until 70 can lift survivor benefits for the younger partner over a longer lifetime.
A spouse more than 10 years younger can also reduce required minimum distributions if they are the sole IRA beneficiary, because a different IRS life-expectancy table applies.
Healthcare and care planning can upend same-time retirement goals: the younger spouse may need bridge coverage before Medicare, and Benz said long-term-care planning should prioritize that partner.
Large age gaps remain uncommon in U.S. marriages—about 8% of couples are 10 years apart and roughly 1% are 20 years apart.