When Should I Take Social Security? | Taylor Sohns

Listen to this episode from Your Money Guide on the Side on Spotify. In case you missed it, check out last week's episode of Your Money Guide on the Side answered the question: How do I Make ChatGPT My New Financial Advisor?How secure is your future benefit and what should you actually do about it?Taylor Sohns is a Certified Financial Planner™ and co-founder of Life Goal Wealth Advisors. Before starting his own firm, Taylor spent over a decade inside some of Wall Street’s biggest investment shops — the ones that build the ETFs, mutual funds, and hedge funds you’ve probably been pitched. Now he works on the other side of the table, helping everyday investors align their portfolios with their real-world goals.📚 What We Discuss with Taylor Sohns:🧮 02:30 — “Coming back to the math” — social security basics 📊 05:20 — The cumulative payout — monthly benefit vs. break-even point ❤️ 08:15 — Spousal benefits — why your timing affects more than just you 📉 11:50 — Social security cuts — what to consider beyond just “take it early” 💼 15:55 — Working after you start social security — common myths 📅 18:00 — Who should wait, who shouldn’t — the role of base rates and earning history 🧠 22:20 — Investment management = behavior management — risk, emotion, and real-life planning 🎯 26:15 — How risk tolerance is actually measured — and how firms get it wrong 📺 29:00 — Reactive news and robust markets — longterm vision ⚖️ 33:30 — Passive vs. active investing — ETFs, experience and exposure. 🔀 37:00 — Is there a middle ground? When active management makes sense💡 What You’ll Walk Away WithHow to assess your own social security timing with math — not fearWhat to know about spousal and survivor benefits before you make a moveHow potential cuts to the system could affect your plan (and what not to panic about)What it really means to “work while claiming” — and who that works forWhy risk tolerance isn’t just a form — and how to think about your own appetite for volatilityA clearer understanding of the real debate between passive and active investing🧾 Resources MentionedLife Goal Wealth Advisors → www.lifegoalinvestments.comTaylor on Instagram → @lifegoalinvestmentsSocial Security calculator → www.ssa.gov/benefits/retirement/estimator.htmlCFP Board → www.letsmakeaplan.orgIf you're still game to support the show, leaving a quick review really helps — even one sentence goes a long way!You can also join thousands of other investing-minded folks by subscribing to the newsletter:https://socialcapconnect.substack.com/Check out episode 26 with Tess Waresmith — a financial educator who shares the costly investing mistakes she made in her 20s, how to vet financial advisors, and why your ignorance is often someone else’s profit.