I’ve thought a good amount about it, but I’m only on the cusp of 40. I think for many people it’s not even a choice to start pulling SS early, it’s a necessity. For example my dad has terrible finances and started taking payments at 63 because it was that or building up (more) credit card debt.
Going back to the FIRE angle, I plan on retiring far enough out that I don’t foresee SS being a major factor either way. I’m also far enough out that whatever is going to happen with payments will long since have happened by the time I’m eligible. So my current thinking is to frame it as longevity insurance — basically leave it until 70 so if I live longer than I expect I’ll have a stronger income stream from SS for long term care or whatever else.
How heavily does SS figure into your retirement plans?
The rub of it is that we don’t know the future, the extra SS income stream if you delayed could be key if you run into health problems later in retirement that necessitate long term care. That stuff is expensive, and the places you’ll end up if you’re out of funds aren’t the places you want to be. Which isn’t to say your choice is bad, just offering another perspective where you might care about this even without kids or a spouse to worry about.