Thank you for your very frank post on reasons you favor taking SS at 62. While I agree with many of your concerns, here are my reasons for delaying as long as possible.
1) I have enough savings to get me to at least 70, but my calculations show that if I live unexpectedly long and markets are unexpectedly unfavorable, then I may eventually run out of money unless I get a higher payout from SS.
2) I have longevity in my family, so while I do not know how long I may live, I must plan at least for the possibility I last into the high 90's (or more if medical advances keep extending lifespans). In that case I also want to be sure I have enough to pay for quality care and not end up in some less desirable institution.
3) The COLA aspect of SS and the taxing aspects of SS can be tampered with by a Government that wishes to do so to save money, but so can aspects of my various retirement accounts. I want to be diversified between SS, IRA/401k, Roth/Trad, taxable/sheltered, investments/home equity and so on, so whatever happens I can still muddle through and not have the majority of my eggs in any one basket that political action could reduce in value enough to hurt me. I am also hopeful that a large senior lobby can at least somewhat contain any of these political take aways.
4) I need the years between age 62 and 70 to do as much Roth conversion as possible and with lower income in these years hope to get maximum benefits from my various tax advantaged savings programs.
5) I have no spouse or dependents and no opportunity to file/suspend or manage higher payout with spousal benefits games. I have adult children as heirs, but unless something catastrophic happens they stand to inherit enough to put them in good shape for their own retirements no matter when I expire. They will get enough in any case so I see no need to take risk to maximize their gain if I die unexpectedly early. I see no need to try to maximize their gain in any scenario. I already do not buy life insurance as it is superfluous.
6) I do not think of SS as a way to maximize my take from the government. I view it as a way to insure myself against the risk of living unexpectedly long. That is the ONLY scenario in which SS is significant in my planning. I have enough assets to live as I am accustomed and still leave assets to heirs for any other scenario. In those cases, I will have lived a lifestyle I wanted and will not care about my remaining portfolio as I will be expired. I already have enough assets to live the lifestyle I want and have the experiences I desire, without SS. Taking SS early or late will not result in my reducing or expanding my lifestyle. The only scenario in which I am at risk of running out of assets is if I live to a ripe old age, and using SS to generate maximum payout for life, plus the assets I will still have, covers that risk.
7) If I have to accept a bet on whether I live long or short, the only side of that bet I care about is the side where I live long.