One thing I'd add based on my experience helping my mom with this same situation - consider scheduling your appointment for early in the morning if possible. The SSA representatives tend to be less rushed and more thorough earlier in the day. Also, if your local office offers appointments (not all do), definitely take that over walking in. And here's something nobody mentioned yet - make sure you understand what happens at age 70 when you switch to your own retirement benefit. You'll need to contact SSA again to make that switch, and there can be a gap in payments if you don't time it right. My mom's advisor recommended filing for her retirement benefit about 2-3 months before her 70th birthday to ensure seamless transition. Just something to keep in mind for your future planning! Also seconding what others said about bringing a written statement - I helped my mom type up a one-paragraph summary that she handed to the rep, and they really appreciated having it spelled out so clearly.

I'm going through a very similar situation and this thread has been incredibly helpful! One thing I wanted to add that my financial advisor emphasized - make sure you get a written confirmation or summary letter after your appointment that clearly states you've applied for survivor benefits only and that your retirement benefit remains unaffected. My advisor also suggested asking the SSA rep to walk through the exact dollar amounts you'll receive as survivor benefits versus what your retirement benefit would be at 70, just so you can confirm the strategy still makes sense with the actual numbers. Sometimes the projected amounts can be different than what people initially calculated. Also, has anyone dealt with the situation where you're receiving survivor benefits and then get remarried before age 60? I know it affects eligibility, but I'm curious about the timing rules. Not planning to remarry anytime soon, but want to understand all the implications of this decision. Thanks again to everyone who shared their experiences - this is exactly the kind of real-world advice you can't get from the SSA website!

To summarize the correct information for you: 1. Taking spousal benefits early will NOT affect your survivor benefits 2. Your future survivor benefit will be based on your husband's benefit amount 3. Since he claimed at 62, his benefit (and consequently your future survivor benefit) is permanently reduced 4. You can claim spousal now and later switch to survivor benefits when applicable 5. To maximize your survivor benefits, you would need to wait until your FRA to claim them when the time comes Given that you're turning 64 next month, taking spousal benefits now means approximately a 13.3% reduction from what you'd get at your FRA. Only you can decide if getting payments now is worth this permanent reduction to your spousal benefits.

Just wanted to add one more consideration that might be helpful - since you mentioned you have less than 40 work credits, make sure to also ask SSA about any potential benefits you might qualify for based on your own work history, even if it's minimal. Sometimes people are surprised to find they have more credits than they thought, or there might be other benefit options available. Also, keep all your documentation from when you do file for spousal benefits - it will make the transition to survivor benefits much smoother later on. The consensus here seems clear that your spousal decision won't hurt your survivor benefits, so that's one less thing to worry about!

I'm 62 and have been dealing with this exact same confusion for months! Like so many others here, I was constantly refreshing my SSA statement after the COLA announcement, wondering why my projected benefits weren't updating. This thread has been incredibly helpful - finally understanding that statements only show current dollar values makes everything click into place. The spreadsheet tracking approach that @Nia Wilson mentioned is brilliant, and I'm definitely going to start using that 2.5% conservative estimate method for my own planning. It's really frustrating that the SSA puts the burden on us to figure this out ourselves when they could easily provide clearer guidance or show projected values with disclaimers. But I'm so grateful for this community sharing practical solutions! At least now I can stop worrying about system errors and start doing realistic retirement planning with the tools you all have provided.

I'm 54 and just stumbled upon this thread while frantically googling why my SSA statement hasn't changed since the COLA announcement! Reading through everyone's experiences has been such a huge relief - I was starting to think there was a glitch in my account or that I was missing something obvious. It's both frustrating and validating to see that so many of us are dealing with this exact same confusion. The spreadsheet tracking method that @Nia Wilson shared is exactly what I've been looking for, and the 2.5% conservative estimate approach seems like the most practical solution we have. It's honestly ridiculous that the SSA can't provide basic inflation-adjusted projections when this affects millions of Americans trying to plan for retirement, but I'm incredibly grateful for this community sharing real solutions. I'm going to start my own COLA tracking this week using my current statement as baseline. Thanks to everyone who took the time to share their research and experiences - this thread has been more valuable than any official SSA resource I've encountered!

make sure u tell ss when u start the new job. they dont automatically know ur working and if they find out later ull have a big overpayment to deal with!!

Just wanted to add - when you report your estimated earnings to SSA, try to be as accurate as possible. I made the mistake of underestimating my income when I went back to work at 64, and then had to deal with a mess at tax time. SSA will withhold based on your estimate, but if you earn significantly more than projected, you could end up with an overpayment that needs to be resolved. Also, keep good records of when you start the job and your actual earnings - it'll make things much smoother when they do the annual reconciliation. The earnings test can be confusing but it's really not that bad once you understand how it works!

I'm in a similar boat - turning 66 next year and trying to plan ahead! One thing I learned from my financial advisor is that you can also request a "benefit verification letter" through your mySocialSecurity account that shows your estimated monthly benefit. It's different from the regular statement and might give you a clearer picture. Also, if you're married, don't forget to factor in spousal benefits or survivor benefits in your planning - those calculations can be tricky and might affect your timing decision. The delayed retirement credits are definitely worth it if you can afford to wait!

One thing I haven't seen mentioned yet is that you can also schedule a phone appointment through your mySocialSecurity account instead of calling the general number. I did this last month and got a callback within 2 days instead of waiting on hold forever. The representative was able to give me my exact benefit calculation including all recent earnings and explained exactly how the delayed retirement credits were applied. She also walked me through the Medicare premium deductions so I knew my actual take-home amount. Much easier than trying to get through on the main phone line! The appointment scheduling feature is under "Contact Us" in your online account.