Optimize Social Security

Social Security Strategy

The Claiming Decision You Can't Take Back

When you file for Social Security changes your monthly benefit for the rest of your life — and it interacts with your other retirement accounts, your tax bracket, and your spouse's benefit too. We treat that filing decision as part of the plan, not a form you fill out on your own.

Image

Forbes Best-In-State Wealth Advisor

2024, 2025, 2026

Selected based on a combination of qualitative and quantitative criteria, including industry experience, client service, and assets under management. No fee was paid for consideration. Learn More.

Image

Five Star Wealth Manager

2025, 2026

Award recipients are selected based on objective criteria, including client retention, industry experience, assets under management, and a regulatory review. No fee is required for consideration. Learn More.

Image

#2 on Barron's as Top 100 RIA Firms

2026

Barron’s rankings awarded in September 2026 based on prior 12-month data. NewEdge Capital Group is the award recipient. Flintridge Private Wealth and NewEdge Capital Group, LLC are not affiliated entities. Learn More.

Image

#8 on Forbes as America’s Top RIA Firms

2025

Forbes/Shook rankings awarded in October 2025 based on data from 3/31/24-3/31/25. NewEdge Capital Group is the award recipient. Flintridge Private Wealth and NewEdge Capital Group, LLC are not affiliated entities. Learn more.

Flintridge Private Wealth is a fee-only fiduciary advisory firm.

The Filing Date Is Only the Visible Part

Behind that one filing date sits a handful of quieter decisions: whether to claim early and take a smaller check for longer, whether delaying makes sense given your health and family history, and how much of that benefit ends up taxable once you factor in your other income. None of those show up on the Social Security statement you get in the mail — they show up in the plan.

How This Actually Works

You're Not Filling Out the Form Alone

The claiming decision itself is one conversation. Understanding how it changes your tax bill, your Medicare premium, and your spending plan is a longer one — and that's the part most people don't get help with. We stay in that conversation from the first estimate through the actual filing.

Where Social Security Actually Plugs In

Filed in isolation, Social Security is just a check. Filed as part of the plan, it's one lever among several — and moving it changes what the others need to do.

● How much you draw from investment accounts each year

● When Medicare premiums and surcharges kick in

● What your pension pays and when

● Your tax bracket in the years right after you file

● What's left for the goals further down the road — legacy, gifting, the rest of it

Every recommendation is personalized to your financial situation, helping you make informed decisions that support your retirement today and for years to come.

How We Approach This

A Filing Decision That Actually Gets Stress-Tested

Filing dates don't come with a do-over. Before you commit to one, we run it against your actual numbers — not a generic breakeven chart — so the decision holds up whether the next ten years go well or don't.

We Model More Than One Filing Age

Filing at 62, at your full retirement age, and at 70 produce very different lifetime totals depending on how long you actually live — we run all three against your real health and family history, not a generic actuarial table.

Your Spouse's Number Gets Decided Alongside Yours

Whoever claims first affects what the survivor eventually receives. We work out both spouses' filing strategy together, not as two separate decisions that happen to land on the same household.

We Check What Becomes Taxable

Depending on your other income, up to 85% of your benefit can be taxed — we run that math before you file, not after your first 1099-SSA shows up.

It Gets Weighed Against Everything Else You're Drawing On

Pension income, investment withdrawals, and Social Security timing all move together. We look at the combination, not Social Security by itself.

We Stay With You Through the Actual Filing

The paperwork and the enrollment windows are their own small maze. We walk through that part with you too, not just the strategy behind it.

Getting Social Security Right

Claiming Social Security: How We Approach It

The biggest misconception is that Social Security is just a decision about when to start. In reality, it's a lifetime income and tax-planning decision.

We look at Social Security within the context of your broader financial plan — your age, income needs, investment portfolio, tax situation, longevity, and the impact on a spouse or surviving spouse. From there, we evaluate different claiming strategies and how they interact with the rest of your retirement income. Delaying benefits can meaningfully increase guaranteed lifetime income in some cases; in others, claiming earlier makes more sense given your circumstances.

Our goal isn't to maximize the Social Security benefit in isolation — it's to determine how Social Security best complements your overall retirement strategy.

Office Location

Visit Our Pasadena Office

Meet with the Flintridge Private Wealth team for personalized financial guidance and wealth management services tailored to your goals.

Pasadena Office

Flintridge Private Wealth

251 South Lake Avenue

Suite 800

Pasadena, CA 91101

Mon - Fri: 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM

Check the background of your financial professional on FINRA's BrokerCheck.

The content is developed from sources believed to be providing accurate information. The information in this material is not intended as tax or legal advice. Please consult legal or tax professionals for specific information regarding your individual situation. The opinions expressed and material provided are for general information, and should not be considered a solicitation for the purchase or sale of any security.

Advisory services offered through NewEdge Advisors, LLC, a registered investment advisor.

NewEdge Advisors, LLC (“NewEdge Advisors”) is a registered investment advisor. Advisory services are only offered to clients where NewEdge Advisors and its representatives are properly licensed or exempt from licensure. This website is solely for information purposes. Past Performance is no guarantee of future returns. Investing involves risk and possible loss of principal capital. No advice may be rendered by NewEdge Advisors unless a client service agreement is in place.

© Copyright 2026 Flintridge Private Wealth. All Rights Reserved. Web Design By GenieBoost.