Retiring as a Married Couple? 3 Moves to Set Yourselves Up for Success.

In many ways, retiring as a married couple is easier than retiring as a single person. You have someone to split expenses with, spend time with, and, if needed, rely on for caregiving.

On the other hand, retiring as a couple means having to take each other's needs into consideration. So it's important to plan for that milestone together. Here are a few key moves to pave the way for a retirement you and your spouse are both happy with.

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1. Decide what lifestyle you want

The lifestyle you intend to lead in retirement will help determine how much money you'll need. It's important to have those conversations ahead of retirement to get on the same page.

It may be that you're content with a low-key lifestyle, while your spouse is hoping to ramp up on travel. Your vision might cost a lot less than your spouse's, so you may need to come to a compromise.

It's also important to talk about how you'll spend your days. If your spouse envisions you moving to a senior community and participating in group activities, but you're not that social, it's an issue you'll want to get ahead of. And if you think it's a good idea to work part-time, but your spouse doesn't want either of you tethered to a job, that's something to discuss, too.

2. Figure out when to claim Social Security

There's a good chance Social Security will end up becoming an important income source for you in retirement. So it's important to work together with your spouse to figure out a filing strategy.

What you may want to do is have the higher earner of the two of you delay Social Security past full retirement age for larger monthly benefits, while the lower earner files for benefits sooner. This way, you have some income coming your way, but you're also snagging a nice boost on your larger check.

There are other strategies you can use, too. The key is to coordinate and run the numbers together.

In doing so, also be mindful of survivor benefits. If the lower earner is expected to outlive the higher earner by many years, that's another reason for the higher earner to consider a delayed Social Security claim.

3. Prioritize savings while you're still working

If you end up getting most of your retirement income from Social Security, you may not have the most flexibility in what you can spend. A better bet is to make sure you're bringing a nice-sized nest egg into retirement.

As retirement nears, take a look at your savings and decide together whether you're happy with the amount you've accumulated. If the answer is no, you can spend the tail end of your career prioritizing 401(k) or IRA contributions so you're able to eke out a little more income for your post-working years.

Retirement is something you and your spouse should approach as a team. Ultimately, the ticket to a rewarding retirement could boil down to good communication and open discussions. Have those talks and do all the necessary number crunching together so you're both able to head into your senior years with more confidence.

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