I'm so sorry for your loss, Diego. Losing your husband after 44 years must be incredibly difficult, and dealing with Social Security complexity during this time makes it even more overwhelming. You've received excellent advice here from the community. I wanted to add one thing that helped when my aunt went through this same situation - she created a simple folder (both physical and digital) to keep all her Social Security related documents in one place. This included copies of correspondence with SSA, notes from phone calls, her husband's death certificate copies, and printouts from her MySocialSecurity account. When she eventually needed to call SSA again closer to age 70, having everything organized in one place made those conversations much smoother. Also, I noticed you mentioned getting different answers from friends - unfortunately, Social Security rules are so complex that even well-meaning people often share incorrect information. The community here has given you the correct guidance: you'll receive the higher of your survivor benefit OR your own retirement benefit at 70, never both simultaneously. Your strategy of taking survivor benefits now and waiting until 70 for your own retirement benefit is absolutely the right financial decision. You're maximizing your lifetime Social Security income even though you won't get both benefits at once. Take care of yourself during this difficult transition.

My deepest condolences on the loss of your husband, Diego. After 44 years together, this must be an incredibly difficult time, and I can only imagine how overwhelming it feels to navigate these complex benefit decisions while grieving. I'm really glad you found this community - you've received some outstanding advice here that's completely accurate. The key points everyone has made are spot on: you'll receive whichever benefit is higher (survivor OR your own retirement at 70), never both simultaneously, and your current strategy is financially optimal. I wanted to add one small but important detail that might help with your planning: when SSA switches you from survivor benefits to your own retirement benefit at 70 (if yours is higher), there's typically no interruption in your monthly payments. The system is designed to make this transition seamless, so you shouldn't experience any gaps in income during the switch. Also, since you mentioned working until 70, this continued employment might actually boost your eventual retirement benefit calculation if your current earnings are higher than some of your earlier career years. Social Security uses your highest 35 years of earnings, so strong earnings in your final working years can replace lower-earning years from earlier in your career. You're handling this incredibly difficult situation with such thoughtfulness and wisdom. This community will continue to be here to support you as you navigate this journey.

To directly answer your last question - if you expect to exceed the earnings limit, you should proactively report this to SSA. They don't automatically adjust it based on real-time earnings data. If you don't report it, they'll eventually catch it when tax records are reconciled, but by then you might have an overpayment that needs to be paid back.

As someone who just went through this process last year, I can confirm that SSA definitely uses your gross wages before any deductions. I learned this the hard way when I got an overpayment notice even though my Social Security taxable wages (Box 3 on W-2) were under the limit. What helped me was setting up a my Social Security account online at ssa.gov where you can report your expected annual earnings. This way they can adjust your monthly payments throughout the year instead of you having to pay back a lump sum later. Also, keep detailed records of your pay stubs - you'll need them if there are any discrepancies when they do their annual reconciliation. The good news is that once you hit your full retirement age, none of this matters anymore and you can earn as much as you want without any benefit reductions!

I'm dealing with the exact same issue! Just started receiving SS benefits last month and the W-4V percentages are so limiting. After reading through all these responses, I'm definitely going with quarterly payments too. Quick question for everyone - when you switched from withholding to quarterly payments, did you need to notify SSA that you were stopping the withholding? Or do you just submit a new W-4V with no withholding selected? I want to make sure I don't end up with both systems running at the same time by accident. Also, @GalaxyGlider, your tip about the separate savings account is brilliant. I'm setting that up today. Planning to automatically transfer 1/4 of my annual tax estimate each month so the money is there when quarterly payments are due.

As a newcomer to this community, I wanted to thank everyone for this incredibly detailed discussion! I'm about to start receiving SS benefits next month and had no idea about these withholding limitations or the quarterly payment option. Reading through all your experiences, it's clear that the SSA's system is really outdated. The fact that we can't adjust withholding percentages online in 2025 is pretty shocking. I'm definitely going to skip the W-4V hassle and go straight to quarterly payments. One thing I'm curious about - for those of you who've been doing quarterly payments for multiple years, do you find that your tax situation becomes more predictable over time? I'm trying to decide whether to be conservative with my first year estimates or try to get as close as possible to my actual liability. Also, @Malia Ponder, thanks for clarifying the process to stop withholding. I'll make sure to submit that 0% W-4V form well in advance!

I just wanted to add my perspective as someone who went through this process about 8 months ago. I had the exact same panic about marriage/divorce dates from the 1980s and 1990s - I literally could not remember if my second marriage ended in 1994 or 1995! After calling SSA multiple times and getting conflicting information, I finally spoke with a supervisor who explained it very clearly: for YOUR OWN retirement benefits (not spousal benefits), they primarily need the marriage/divorce info to verify your legal name changes and to know if anyone else might be eligible for benefits on your record later. They don't expect perfect recall of events from 25-40 years ago. I ended up submitting with entries like "Marriage ended approximately 1995 - unable to recall exact month after 30 years" and my application was processed without any follow-up requests. The key is being honest about what you remember vs. what you're estimating. Don't let this paperwork anxiety delay your application when you're so close to 66! The SSA deals with incomplete historical information all the time. Submit with your best estimates and explanatory notes - you can always provide documentation later if they specifically request it (which they probably won't for your own retirement benefits).

I'm going through this exact same situation right now and this thread has been such a relief to find! I've been putting off my Social Security application for months because I was convinced I needed to track down certified copies of marriage and divorce certificates from the 1980s and 1990s. Like so many others here, I have multiple marriages/divorces from decades ago and honestly can't remember exact dates. I was losing sleep thinking I'd have to contact county clerks in different states and pay for certified copies before I could even submit my application. Reading everyone's experiences here has completely changed my perspective. It's clear that SSA understands people don't keep perfect records from 30-40 years ago and that approximate dates with honest explanations are perfectly acceptable for retirement applications based on your own work record. I'm planning to submit my application this week using language like "divorced approximately summer 1987 - exact date unavailable after 35+ years" and include brief notes explaining why I can't provide precise information. Based on all the success stories shared here, it sounds like this approach works well and rarely results in requests for additional documentation. Thank you to everyone who shared their experiences - this thread has been more helpful than hours of trying to navigate the confusing SSA website! Don't let paperwork anxiety delay your benefits when you're eligible.

Just wanted to add my perspective as someone who works in tax preparation - the confusion around this topic is incredibly common! I see clients every year who are worried about the same thing. To put it simply: Social Security will NEVER reduce your monthly benefit payment once you've reached Full Retirement Age, no matter how much you earn. That's federal law. What CAN happen is that more of your Social Security becomes subject to income tax as your total income increases. Think of it this way - your gross Social Security payment stays the same, but your net take-home might be less due to taxes. That's probably what happened with your neighbor and why he thinks his "benefits got cut." For your situation with $3,000/month consulting income, you'll definitely want to make quarterly estimated tax payments. The IRS doesn't like waiting until April for their money on significant additional income like that. Your accountant can help you calculate what to set aside. Bottom line: take the consulting job! You earned the right to maximum Social Security by waiting until 70, and now you get to have your cake and eat it too. Just be smart about the tax planning piece.

I'm glad you found all this information helpful! As someone who's been collecting Social Security for a few years now, I can definitely relate to the confusion around these rules. The key takeaway that everyone has made clear is that your actual Social Security benefit amount is protected once you reach FRA - it's really just the tax implications you need to plan for. One small tip I'd add: when you do start that consulting work, make sure to keep detailed records not just for tax purposes, but also to track how the extra income affects your overall financial picture. Sometimes seeing the numbers laid out quarterly can help you make adjustments if needed (like changing your tax withholding strategy or deciding whether to take on more or less work). It sounds like you've got a great opportunity ahead of you. Getting to stay active, use your skills, and earn extra income while still receiving your full Social Security benefits - that's exactly what a successful retirement should look like! Best of luck with the consulting work.