I'm 63 and going through this exact same situation! Just want to add my voice to confirm what everyone else has said - 401k withdrawals absolutely DO NOT affect the Social Security earnings test. I was terrified about this too when I started collecting early benefits last year. I've now made several withdrawals totaling about $22,000 over the past 12 months for various home improvements and unexpected expenses, and my monthly SS check has never changed. The earnings test only cares about wages from working and self-employment income - not retirement account withdrawals. Your financial advisor is 100% correct and your brother-in-law is likely confused between the earnings test and taxation of benefits (which are completely different things). Go ahead with confidence on your $15,000 withdrawal for home repairs! Just echo what others said about tax withholding - definitely have at least 20% withheld when you make the withdrawal. I learned this the hard way on my first withdrawal and ended up owing extra taxes. Having proper withholding from the start makes everything much smoother at tax time. This community has been such a great resource for navigating these confusing rules. Don't let the misinformation stress you out - your withdrawal is completely safe from affecting your monthly benefits!

I'm 64 and went through this exact same worry when I started taking SS benefits early last year! Your financial advisor is absolutely right - 401k withdrawals do NOT count toward the Social Security earnings test at all. I was so anxious about this that I called SSA multiple times to confirm, and they assured me that only wages from employment and net self-employment income count toward that $22,320 limit. Your $15,000 withdrawal for home repairs won't affect your monthly benefits whatsoever. However, definitely plan for the tax implications! I withdrew $16,000 from my 401k last year and while it didn't touch my SS benefits, it did push me into owing about $900 more in taxes because it made 85% of my benefits taxable instead of 50%. I wish I had withheld 20% for taxes upfront - would have saved me scrambling at tax time. Your brother-in-law is probably mixing up the earnings test with benefit taxation, or maybe he had other work income that caused his reduction. These rules are confusing and even some SSA reps get them wrong! But rest assured - retirement account withdrawals are completely separate from the earnings test. Go ahead with those home repairs!

btw make sure when they do finally call you have ALL your kids docs ready - birth certificates, ssn cards, school info if theyre older, custody papers if theres any complicated family situation. they get super annoyed if you dont have everything and might make you start over with another appt

I went through something very similar and want to add that you should also request a "receipt" or confirmation number every time you interact with SSA about your children's benefits. When I was dealing with missed appointments, I started asking the person on the phone to give me a confirmation number for our conversation and have them note in my file that I was calling about dependent benefits tied to my July 2024 protective filing date. This created a clear paper trail that helped when I eventually got everything sorted out. Also, if you have to keep rescheduling phone appointments, try asking if they can schedule you for the earliest slot of the day - I found those were less likely to get bumped or missed. The whole process is frustrating but don't give up - your kids are entitled to those benefits and the backpay from your original filing date!

I'm 54 and my company is planning a similar conversion next year, so this entire discussion has been incredibly enlightening! It's amazing to see so many real-world examples confirming that ALL earnings subject to FICA taxes count equally toward Social Security - whether it's base pay, overtime, bonuses, or any other compensation. What really stands out to me is how consistently people are reporting monthly benefit increases of $165-$220+ when they run their projections. Over a typical retirement, that's tens of thousands of extra dollars! I've been dreading this potential change because I value the flexibility of salary, but reading everyone's experiences makes me realize that at our ages (50s and early 60s), we're actually in an ideal window to maximize these higher earning years. Since Social Security uses your highest 35 years of indexed earnings, these overtime-boosted years can replace much lower-earning years from the 80s and 90s. I'm definitely creating my SSA account this weekend to start tracking my earnings record and running projections. This thread has completely shifted my perspective from viewing this as an unwanted change to seeing it as a potential retirement planning opportunity. Thanks to everyone who shared their real numbers and experiences!

I'm 53 and my company just announced they're doing this exact same conversion in Q2 next year! This entire thread has been incredibly valuable - I had no idea that ALL FICA-taxed earnings count equally toward Social Security regardless of whether it's overtime, base pay, or bonuses. Reading everyone's real experiences and seeing the actual monthly benefit increases people are reporting ($165-$220+) has completely changed my perspective on this transition. At 53, I have potentially 14-16 years to maximize these higher earnings before retirement, which could really help replace my much lower-earning years from the 80s and 90s in my SS calculation. I was initially dreading losing the salary flexibility, but when you're talking about potentially $2,000+ extra annually for life in retirement benefits, it's really a no-brainer. I'm creating my SSA account this weekend to start tracking my earnings record and running projections. Thanks to everyone who shared their experiences - you've turned what I thought would be bad news into something I'm actually looking forward to from a retirement planning perspective!

I'm so sorry to hear about your husband's diagnosis, Zainab. What you're going through must be incredibly overwhelming, and I can only imagine how scared you must feel about the future. Please know that you're not alone in this journey, and seeking out this information now shows incredible strength and foresight. The community here has provided you with excellent, accurate information - you're absolutely eligible for survivor benefits with your 8 years of marriage since the requirement is only 9 months. I think many of us have experienced that same confusion you felt when trying to research Social Security online, because there are so many different programs with different rules all mixed together in search results. What really stands out to me from reading through this entire discussion is not just the wealth of practical knowledge everyone has shared, but the genuine care and support you've received. It's clear this community understands that behind every Social Security question is a real person facing real challenges and fears. While you're processing all this information about survivor benefits, claiming strategies, and timing decisions, please remember to be gentle with yourself. You don't need to become an expert overnight. The most important thing - knowing you'll have that financial foundation - has been confirmed. Everything else can be learned when you need it. Focus on supporting each other through his treatment, and know that this community will be here when you have more questions. Wishing you both courage and hope during this difficult time. ❤️

I'm so sorry to hear about your husband's diagnosis, Zainab. This must be an incredibly frightening and overwhelming time for both of you. I can't imagine the stress you're feeling trying to plan for an uncertain future while also supporting him through his health challenges. The wonderful news is that everyone here has confirmed you're absolutely eligible for survivor benefits with your 8 years of marriage - the 9-month requirement is what applies, not the confusing 10-year rule you were seeing online (which is only for divorced spouse benefits). Reading through all these responses, I'm struck by how much valuable information and genuine support this community has provided you. As someone who has watched family members navigate similar situations, I want to echo what others have said about not putting pressure on yourself to master every detail right now. You've gotten the most important answer - you will have that financial safety net when you need it. The claiming strategies and timing decisions can be learned later when you're closer to age 60. For now, focus on what matters most: supporting each other through his treatment and taking care of your own emotional well-being during this difficult journey. You've shown incredible wisdom by planning ahead, and this community will clearly be here to help guide you through any future questions. Sending you both strength and hoping for the best possible outcome with his treatment. You're not facing this alone. ❤️

I went through this same situation about 6 months ago when applying for spousal benefits with GPO (my husband is a retired postal worker). The SSA office I went to was absolutely adamant about having either the original marriage certificate or a certified copy - they wouldn't even look at my application without it. What really surprised me was that they also wanted documentation showing we were still married (like recent joint tax returns) since apparently some people try to claim benefits on marriages that ended in divorce. The whole GPO process is much more thorough than regular spousal benefits. One thing that helped speed up my county's processing was mentioning it was for Social Security - they have an expedited service for government benefit applications that cut my wait time from 8 weeks to about 10 days for an extra $20 fee. Definitely worth asking about!

I'm in a similar situation - my husband is a retired police officer and I'm getting ready to apply for spousal benefits with GPO. Based on all the responses here, it sounds like getting that certified marriage certificate is absolutely essential for GPO cases, even though it's frustrating to wait. I'm curious though - for those who have been through this process, did the SSA office give you any kind of receipt or documentation showing they verified your marriage certificate? I'm always worried about proving I provided required documents if there are any questions later. Also, has anyone had experience with SSA accepting a marriage certificate from a different state than where you currently live? We got married in Nevada but now live in Arizona, so I'm wondering if I need to go through Nevada's system or if Arizona can provide some kind of verification.