My thoughts on SSI...Since my wife passed at age 63, and neither she nor I drew anything from her fund, I'd advise you take it ASAP. You're getting less, but if you live a long time, you're getting it longer. If you die early as she did, you've gotten nothing for your investment.
As for retirement, I'm hanging it up this year...maybe June. I've talked a lot with my FA and accountant and I plan on keeping it just the way it is....balanced but hedging toward aggressive as I've always done. That has worked for me, but I've been able to go aggressive without worrying about what if's. Hope that helps.
Thanks again for your insight- at my age, I don’t tent to factor in such things. I’ve always believed that learning from others (who have no vested interest) is the best way to make good, informed decisions. Congrats on your retirement! I grew up on a dairy farm...no one ever retired. And while that taught me to be a manager of money, it did not prepare me to take an reasonably early retirement and how best to manage the assets and income streams. I hope you are available for other questions in the future!