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A. You can. Social Security will accept your application for early benefits when you're 61 years 9 months. Regardless of how old you are, the agency generally recommends that you apply three months before you would like the first payment to arrive.
Ask your spouse to file for benefits by 66 -- While your spouse's benefit will continue to grow until age 70, your benefit as a spouse will not. Mathematically, it doesn't usually make sense for your spouse to delay his or her Social Security beyond your full retirement age (66 for people retiring now).