Nearly one in five married couples now retire in the same year. Efforts by husbands and wives to retire together will likely become increasingly difficult, however. With many married women now approaching retirement with large Social Security and pension benefits in their own names, couples need to consider how the decision to stop work will affect income and retirement benefits for both spouses. The decision by married women to remain at work to maximize their own retirement benefits may also encourage their older husbands to delay retirement.