Why Social Security Matters More for Women

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When planning for retirement, Social Security is often the cornerstone of a secure retirement, especially for women. Women make up nearly 55% of Social Security benefit recipients and for many, it's their primary source of retirement income. Women face unique challenges in maximizing their Social Security benefits, including longer life expectancy, time out of the workforce to care for family, and complex rules around spousal and survivor benefits.

Why it matters

Social Security provides guaranteed income that adjusts for inflation and generally lasts as long as you live, making it valuable for helping to address two major retirement risks for women: rising costs and the possibility of outliving your savings. Given women's longer life expectancy, the decision of when to start Social Security benefits is especially important.

The details

A woman's Social Security benefit depends on her 35 highest-earning years. Time out of the workforce to care for family can reduce this earnings history and lower benefits. Marriage can provide additional options, like receiving up to 50% of a spouse's full retirement-age benefit or up to 100% of a deceased spouse's benefit. However, these spousal and survivor benefits come with complex rules around remarriage. Working with a financial advisor can help women navigate Social Security claiming strategies and integrate it into their overall retirement plan.

• In 2023, the average life expectancy for women in the U.S. was 79.5 years, about 5 years longer than for men.
• A 2025 University of Kansas study found that the share of mothers with children under age 5 leaving the workforce fell more in early 2025 than at any point in the past 40 years.

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