One of the best benefits of Social Security is that individuals can receive benefits based on their partner's work history, known as spousal benefits. With Social Security spousal benefits, someone is eligible to receive up to 50% of their spouse's PIA, assuming they claim benefits at their FRA.

If you want to do your own calculations, you can check your estimated benefit at different ages with your Social Security Administration account.

Social Security is a major source of income for nearly 73M Americans — but how far does the average check go? See average benefits by age and gender, how its calculated and making the most of your money,