This is such a comprehensive thread with so many helpful real-world experiences! I'm in a very similar situation - 66 and just inherited my aunt's traditional IRA last month. I'll be starting Social Security in a few months and was worried about the same things you mentioned. Reading through everyone's responses, I'm feeling much more confident about the process now. The key takeaways I'm getting are: 1) RMDs won't reduce my actual SS payment since I'm past FRA, 2) they might make more of my SS taxable, and 3) proper tax withholding planning is crucial from the start. I'm particularly interested in the monthly distribution approach several people mentioned rather than taking one annual lump sum. It seems like spreading it out would make both the cash flow and tax planning more manageable. Has anyone found any downsides to monthly distributions versus quarterly or annual? I'm leaning toward setting mine up for monthly payments but want to make sure I'm not missing anything. Thanks to everyone who shared their experiences - this thread is gold for those of us navigating this situation for the first time!

As a newcomer to this community, I'm amazed by how helpful and detailed everyone's responses have been! I'm 65 and will be facing a very similar situation next year when my mother's traditional IRA becomes mine (she's currently in hospice care). Reading through all these experiences has given me such valuable insights I never would have found elsewhere. The distinction between the earnings test (which doesn't apply to RMDs) and the taxation of Social Security benefits (which can be affected) is something I completely misunderstood before finding this thread. I'm particularly grateful for the practical tips about setting up monthly distributions, automatic tax withholding, and keeping simple tracking systems. The "double withholding" strategy mentioned by Diego - having taxes taken from both the IRA distributions AND Social Security payments - sounds like exactly the kind of proactive approach I need. One question I have for this knowledgeable group: has anyone dealt with the situation where the original IRA owner was already taking their own RMDs before passing away? I'm wondering if that affects the calculation for inherited RMD amounts or if it's simply based on the account balance at year-end regardless of what was already distributed. Thank you all for sharing your real-world experiences so openly. This is exactly the kind of community support that makes navigating these complex financial situations so much more manageable!

I'm currently going through the exact same process - turning 67 next month and planning to file for both my own retirement benefits and divorced spouse benefits. After reading all these responses, I'm definitely leaning toward the phone route now, especially after learning about services like Claimyr that can help avoid the long hold times. One thing I wanted to add that might be helpful - I called SSA last week just to ask some preliminary questions, and the representative mentioned that they can actually do a "benefit estimate" over the phone to help you understand what you'd receive from each option before you formally apply. This might be worth doing first so you know whether the divorced spouse benefit would actually increase your monthly payment. Also, regarding the marriage certificate - I was in the same boat and couldn't find mine after 20+ years. I was able to order a certified copy online from the county clerk's office where we got married for about $15, and it arrived in less than a week. Much easier than I expected! Good luck with your application process!

I'm in a very similar situation - just turned 67 last month and was married to my ex-husband for 15 years. After reading through all these responses, I decided to go with the phone route and it worked out really well! A few things that might help you: 1) I used Claimyr to avoid the hold time - totally worth the small fee! Got connected to an SSA rep in about 20 minutes instead of waiting hours. 2) The rep was able to do a quick benefit estimate right on the call. Turns out my ex's benefit was high enough that I'll get about $200 more per month than just my own benefit alone. 3) They started my application over the phone and gave me a protective filing date, then mailed me forms to complete and return with my documents. This felt much less stressful than trying to do everything online. 4) The rep specifically told me that divorced spouse benefits are one of the most error-prone applications when done online because people often misunderstand the questions or enter dates incorrectly. One tip - even if you don't have your ex's SSN, they can still process your claim. I only had his name and approximate birth year, and they found his record just fine. The whole process took about 45 minutes on the phone and now I'm just waiting for my first payment next month. Much smoother than I expected!

This is incredibly helpful information! I had no idea there were so many different layers of protection available. I think I'll start with just the Electronic Access Block since I already have my credit frozen. Really appreciate everyone's advice here!

Just wanted to add another security tip that's worked well for me - consider setting up account alerts with the Social Security Administration if you do keep online access, or make sure to regularly check your Social Security Statement (Form SSA-1099) when it comes in the mail each year. I caught a discrepancy in my earnings record this way that turned out to be someone using my SSN for employment. Even with all these blocks in place, it's still good to periodically verify that your actual benefits and earnings history look correct. The earlier you catch these issues, the easier they are to resolve!

UPDATE: I called SSA this morning (thanks for the Claimyr tip - it worked perfectly!) and got confirmation that I do qualify for spousal benefits even without having 40 quarters myself. The agent said my benefit would be about $1,375 per month if I apply now at 67, which is just over 40% of what my wife would get at her full retirement age. Apparently the reduction is because she took benefits early at 62. Still, this is a huge help for our budget! The agent also confirmed that any future changes to WEP would potentially increase my wife's benefit, which could then increase my spousal benefit too. Thanks everyone for your help!

That's fantastic news, Shelby! Thanks for sharing the update - it's really helpful to hear real experiences like this. $1,375 per month is definitely significant for your household budget. Just wanted to add a few points for anyone else reading this thread: 1. Even though your spousal benefit is reduced because your wife took early retirement, you're still getting a solid amount 2. If/when WEP changes do happen, your wife's benefit could increase substantially, and yes, that would boost your spousal benefit too 3. For others in similar situations - don't assume you can't get benefits just because you're short on quarters. Spousal benefits are a real lifeline for many couples Also glad to hear Claimyr worked for you! It's frustrating how hard it can be to reach SSA these days. Congrats on getting this sorted out and having more financial security going forward.

Andre, I'm so sorry for the loss of your wife. What a heartbreaking situation to navigate these complex financial decisions while grieving. I wanted to add something that might help with your timing decision: since you mentioned you'll turn 62 next April, you have some time to prepare and potentially optimize your approach. Consider this timeline strategy: In the months leading up to April, you could: 1. Schedule that in-person SSA appointment several others mentioned to get your exact benefit amounts confirmed 2. Set up a detailed earnings tracking system with your HR department 3. Calculate different scenarios based on various part-time work schedules Then, when you do claim at 62, you could potentially front-load more work hours in the early months of that year (before claiming) and then scale back afterward to stay under the monthly earnings test limit. This could help you maximize both your work income and Social Security benefits in that transition year. Also, don't forget that any earnings test "penalties" in your early claiming years won't matter much to your long-term financial picture since you're switching to that much higher survivor benefit at 67 anyway. You're essentially getting 5 years of some income versus no income, even if it's not the full amount due to the earnings test. Your strategy is well-thought-out given your circumstances. Take care of yourself during this difficult time.

Andre, I'm so sorry for your loss. Losing a spouse after 29 years is incredibly difficult, and having to navigate these complex Social Security decisions during such a challenging time makes it even harder. I've been following this thread and wanted to add one more perspective that might be helpful. While everyone has correctly confirmed that 401k contributions won't help with the earnings test, there's actually a silver lining to your situation that I don't think has been fully emphasized: you have nearly a full year to plan and optimize your approach before turning 62 next April. This gives you a unique opportunity to potentially "practice" different work schedules and see how they would affect your earnings calculations. You could track your current part-time income over the next few months to see exactly where you'd land relative to that $22,750 annual limit or $1,896 monthly limit. This real-world data would help you make a much more informed decision about whether the earnings test would significantly impact your benefits. Also, given the substantial difference between your retirement benefit ($1,640) and survivor benefit ($2,850), even if the earnings test reduces your benefits by 25-30% in some years, you'd still be receiving meaningful income during those 5 transition years before switching to the full survivor benefit at 67. Your strategy is sound, and this community has given you excellent advice about scheduling that SSA appointment and considering all the various options. Take your time with the decision - you've got this!