In an article appearing on MarketWatch on July 19, Institute economist Marcus Dillender discusses findings from his paper "Social Security and Divorce Decisions." According to Dillender, "[P]eople should be aware of the fact that Social Security provides spousal benefits to divorced people if their marriages lasted at least 10 years." He also notes that, while the effects vary by age, this 10-year rule leads to an increased likelihood of being divorced at 10 years of marriage.
Read How divorce and death affect Social Security benefits by Robert Powell.