When I was self-employed, I found it helpful to create a spreadsheet to track my Social Security contributions each year. I used it to project my future benefits. One thing to keep in mind is that benefits are calculated based on your highest 35 years of earnings, adjusted for inflation. If you have fewer than 35 years of work, they'll use zeros for the missing years, which can significantly lower your benefit amount.

Just wanted to add that if you're looking at older tax returns (pre-2018), the Self-Employment tax might be on a different line since they restructured the forms. Also, keep in mind that the earnings reported to Social Security are your net earnings from self-employment (after the SE tax deduction), not your gross income. So when you're projecting future benefits, make sure you're using the right numbers. The SSA uses your "covered earnings" which is roughly 92.35% of your net self-employment income.

Thanks everyone for the advice! I went to my local office this morning with my filled-out W-4V form and ID. Took a number, waited about 30 minutes, and they accepted it no problem! The staff person said I should see the withholding start on my payment next month. She also gave me a receipt showing they received the form, which made me feel much better. For anyone else wondering, at least at my office (Tucson), no appointment was needed just to drop off a form.

That's awesome news! Thanks for following up with how it went - that's really helpful for others who might be in the same situation. The receipt is definitely key, and it sounds like your office was much more efficient than some of the horror stories people shared. Hopefully your withholding starts right on schedule next month!

one more thing I remembered - when i got my retroactive payment they did take out 15% for taxes automatically. just fyi so u know what to expect if u do go that route

Just wanted to add my experience as someone who went through this exact decision last year. I was born in 1959 (FRA 66 and 10 months) and filed right at my FRA in October 2023. The SSA representative really pushed the 6-month retroactive option, emphasizing the "free money" aspect of getting $18,000+ upfront. I'm so glad I did my homework first and declined it! Even though my FRA meant I wouldn't have faced an early filing reduction, I realized that taking those 6 months retroactively would have still reduced my monthly benefit because it effectively moved my filing date back. What really helped me decide was calculating the crossover point - I would need to live about 14 years just to break even, and anything beyond that would be pure loss. Given that I'm in good health and my mother lived to 94, it was a no-brainer to skip the retroactive payment. Victoria, it sounds like you've already done the math and made the smart choice. The only thing I'd add is to make sure when you do file, you're very clear about NOT wanting retroactive benefits - apparently some SSA reps default to offering it and you have to specifically decline.

To summarize what's been discussed and provide clear direction: 1. Since you were born in 1959, your FRA for survivor benefits is indeed 66 and 10 months 2. Apply 3-4 months before reaching that age to ensure timely processing 3. Gather all your documentation now: marriage certificate, spouse's death certificate, birth certificates, possibly prior marriage/divorce papers, and recent tax returns 4. With your current part-time income of $35,000, you should be under the earnings limit and won't face benefit reductions 5. After you reach your FRA of 66 and 10 months, you can earn unlimited income without affecting your survivor benefits You're doing the right thing by researching this in advance. Planning ahead will make the process much smoother!

One thing I'd add that hasn't been mentioned yet - consider whether you might benefit from a "restricted application" strategy if you're eligible for benefits on your own work record too. Sometimes it makes sense to claim survivor benefits first and let your own retirement benefits grow with delayed retirement credits until age 70, or vice versa. Since you're planning to claim at FRA next year, you might want to ask SSA to run the numbers on both scenarios during your application appointment. The difference could be significant over your lifetime, especially if your own benefit would be higher than the survivor benefit. Also, don't forget that survivor benefits can be backdated up to 6 months if you're past your FRA when you apply, but there's no advantage to waiting beyond FRA for survivor benefits (unlike retirement benefits which grow until age 70). So definitely apply right at FRA as you're planning!

I'm glad to see you're getting some solid advice here! As someone who works with international benefit cases, I wanted to add a few practical tips for when the time comes: 1. Make sure your wife keeps her Mexican passport current - she'll need it for identity verification when applying for survivor benefits at the US Embassy. 2. Consider setting up a US bank account that offers good international wire transfer services now, rather than waiting. Some Mexican banks have partnerships with US banks that make transfers easier and cheaper. 3. Keep all your Social Security earnings records organized and accessible. The embassy will need documentation of your work history when processing her application. 4. If she does decide to give up her green card eventually, she should do it formally through USCIS rather than just staying away - this creates a clear paper trail that can actually help with benefit processing later. The totalization agreement really does make this much simpler than it used to be. Your 35+ years of contributions definitely put you in a strong position to provide for her future security.

Great question about banking! For US-Mexico transfers, I've had good experiences with Bank of America and Wells Fargo - they both have partnerships with Mexican banks that reduce transfer fees. BBVA is another option since they operate in both countries. For documentation, yes - keep those annual Social Security statements (Form SSA-1099), but also consider requesting a complete earnings record from SSA using Form SSA-7050-F4. This gives you a year-by-year breakdown of your covered earnings, which can be helpful if there are any discrepancies when your wife applies for benefits. One more tip: if your wife plans to maintain her green card, she should file US tax returns even while living primarily in Mexico. This helps establish her continuing ties to the US and can be useful documentation for both immigration and Social Security purposes. The foreign earned income exclusion can help minimize any US tax liability on her Mexican income. The fact that you're planning this out now really shows you care about her future security - that's wonderful to see!