The Supreme Court’s five-to-four decisionto make same-sex marriage legal throughout the country has massiveSocial Security implications for couples whose marriages are nowconstitutionally recognized.

Just how massive? In one hypothetical projection laid out byresearchers at Financial Engines, the Sunnyvale, California-basedprovider of managed accounts for 401(k) plans, single filers canearn nearly $350,000 more over their lifetime as a married coupleif they utilize the most of their available benefits.

For all of the ramifications the ruling will have onnewly-recognized marriages—health care, tax, and inheritance law are widelycited as the most impacted—Wei Hu, vice president of financialresearch at Financial Engines calls the consequences on SocialSecurity “huge.”

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Nick Thornton

Nick Thornton is a financial writer covering retirement and health care issues for BenefitsPRO and ALM Media. He greatly enjoys learning from the vast minds in the legal, academic, advisory and money management communities when covering the retirement space. He's also written on international marketing trends, financial institution risk management, defense and energy issues, the restaurant industry in New York City, surfing, cigars, rum, travel, and fishing. When not writing, he's pushing into some land or water.