can someone explain what FRA means? i keep seeing it in this thread

Thank you everyone for all the helpful responses! I'm feeling much more confident now about my retirement timeline. To summarize what I've learned: 1) I'll apply in March for benefits to start June 1st (being very specific about this date) 2) My first payment will arrive in July 3) Since I'll stop working in mid-May, I don't need to worry about June earnings 4) I need to consider tax implications of my final paycheck 5) When I apply, I'll double-check all the paperwork to make sure the start date is correct If I run into any issues reaching SSA by phone, I'll check out that Claimyr service someone mentioned. Thanks again for all your advice!

my uncle retired at 65 but waited till 68 to claim SS. he said it was the best financial decision he ever made. he's 88 now and says hes WAY ahead with the higher monthly amount. something to think about.

Don't forget about Medicare!!!! You should sign up for that at 65 even if you delay SS benefits!!!! I messed this up and am paying higher premiums forever as a penalty!!!

Another tip - when you create your my Social Security account, you'll need to verify your identity. They'll ask questions based on your credit report, so have that information handy. If you have a credit freeze in place (which many people do these days), you might need to temporarily lift it to create your account.

Since your husband is already receiving retirement benefits, you should definitely look into whether a spousal benefit might be higher than your own retirement benefit. You'd be eligible for up to 50% of his full retirement age benefit amount (reduced if you claim before your FRA). The online application will ask if you want to apply for spousal benefits too. Always say yes - SSA will automatically give you whichever is higher between your own benefit and the spousal benefit.

My cousin works at walmart while getting disabilty. he said as long as you make under the limit its fine but sometimes SS is slow updating their records so he got a overpayment notice once but they fixed it when he sent in his paystubs.

Thank you everyone for all the great advice! I feel much better about trying to work now. I'm going to: 1. Look into the Ticket to Work program 2. Start with very part-time hours keeping well under the SGA limit 3. Report everything properly to SSA from the start 4. Keep good records of all my earnings and communications This has been so helpful. I was feeling really isolated and uncertain about my future, but knowing I can at least try working without immediately losing everything gives me hope. I appreciate all of you sharing your experiences and knowledge!

Did you check both the "Benefits" and "Plan" sections on your dashboard? Sometimes the application link is under "Plan" which is confusing.

After reading through this thread, it sounds like you'll need to call. Since you're under FRA and applying for reduced spousal benefits, that's likely why you don't have the online option. When you do call, make sure you have: your spouse's SSN, your marriage certificate (or at least the date), and information about any previous marriages for either of you. This will speed up the application process once you get through.

My friend's ex tried to claim on his record even tho she was remarried and SSA denied her. So your ex definitely can't claim while she's still married. But I think the more important question is are YOU getting the maximum benefit you're entitled to? Did you check if you qualify for any of those special filing strategies before they were eliminated?

Thank you all for the helpful information! It seems clear that my ex-wife has no claim to benefits on my record as long as she remains married. That's a relief to know. My current wife and I are satisfied with our benefit decisions, even though she's receiving a reduced amount by claiming early. One follow-up question - if my ex-wife's current marriage ends and she then claims on my record when she's eligible, would I be notified by SSA? Or would that happen without my knowledge?

My sister works for SSA and she says they NEVER change payment dates without sending official notices months in advance. So unless you got a letter, your payment will be on the regular schedule.

To update everyone, I just received confirmation from SSA that there are NO changes to the November 2025 payment schedule. Standard payment dates based on birth dates remain in effect. The 3rd Wednesday remains November 19, 2025 for those with birthdays between the 11th-20th. This rumor appears to be completely unfounded.

THE WHOLE FAIRNESS ACT IS A JOKE!!!!! They promoted it like it was going to fix everything for government workers but then watered it down to practically NOTHING!!! My husband worked 30 YEARS for the city and gets ZERO from my SS even though I paid in my WHOLE LIFE! How is that FAIR??? They should have just been honest and called it the "SLIGHTLY LESS UNFAIR ACT" instead!!!!!

To directly answer your question: Yes, the SSA rep gave your ex-husband correct information. To qualify for spousal benefits on your record with a CSRS pension, the potential spousal benefit (50% of your FRA amount) must be greater than the GPO reduction (2/3 of his CSRS pension). Potential strategies to consider: 1. If your ex-husband also has at least 40 credits from other work covered by Social Security, he should check on his own retirement benefit which would be subject to WEP (which was modified favorably by the Fairness Act) but not GPO. 2. If he's turning 62 in 2025 rather than already being 62, the phase-in of additional Fairness Act provisions might affect his calculation slightly. 3. If your FRA benefit increases substantially in the future (through continued work or delayed retirement), it might change the calculation.

To summarize what everyone's saying and to directly answer your question - YES, you can delay survivor benefits until FRA even if you're receiving spousal excess benefits currently. Here's the technical explanation: The deemed filing rules that might force certain benefit applications don't apply to survivor benefits. So receiving spousal benefits (or spousal excess benefits) doesn't force you to take survivor benefits early if your husband passes away. When you speak with SSA during your upcoming appointment, you might want to specifically ask them to note in your file that you understand this rule and intend to delay survivor benefits until FRA if necessary. That documentation could help if there's confusion later.

guys I just remmebered another thing from my moms situation - when my dad died the local office actually FILED FOR SURVIVORS for her without asking!!! she had to call and have them undo it. they said it was "automatic" but that wasn't true. so be super careful and check your myssa account if this happens to make sure they dont switch you without permission!!!

Im confused about something - if your benefit is $3200 and your wifes is $850, her spousal top up would be $750 (half of your $3200 = $1600, minus her $850 = $750). But that's assuming she waits until her Full Retirement Age! If she files at 64, both her own benefit AND the spousal amount get reduced. She'll get less than the full $1600 total. Make sure you understand this before deciding when she should file. As for applying - definitely do it by phone or in person. The online application doesn't handle the top-up situation well. I learned that the hard way!

Thanks everyone for the helpful responses! Based on all your advice, we're going to have my wife call SSA to set up an appointment. From what you're all saying, it sounds like she can technically apply now, but it might be easier to wait until a bit closer to January. Regarding the reduction for claiming early - we've calculated that and are okay with it. Even with the reduction, the extra income will help us more now than waiting for the full amount later. One last question - does anyone know if they'll need my information during her application process? Should I plan to be there with her for the appointment?