As someone who works with Social Security claims regularly, I want to emphasize that this is exactly the kind of decision where getting official SSA guidance is crucial. The rules around early filing and spousal benefits are complex, and the reduction factors can vary based on your specific birth year and exact filing dates. One key point that hasn't been fully addressed: if you're considering the spousal benefit route, remember that your husband must actually file for his benefits before you can claim spousal benefits. So the timing becomes a coordination between both of your filing decisions, not just yours alone. I'd strongly recommend using the SSA's online retirement estimator tool at ssa.gov/benefits/retirement/estimator.html - it will show you personalized projections based on your actual earnings record. You can model different claiming scenarios to see the dollar impact over time. Also, don't forget that if you're still working, the earnings test might reduce your benefits if you claim before your FRA and earn above certain thresholds ($22,320 for 2024). This is another factor that could influence your optimal timing. Given the complexity and the long-term financial impact, consider getting a second opinion from a fee-only financial planner who specializes in Social Security optimization, not just general financial advice.

I went through this exact same decision process two years ago and wanted to share what helped me most. After getting conflicting advice from multiple sources, I finally scheduled an appointment at my local SSA office (yes, there was a wait, but it was worth it). The key insight I got was this: they showed me my actual benefit statement with the exact dollar amounts for different claiming ages. Seeing "$1,234 at age 62" versus "$1,763 at age 67" made it crystal clear what I'd be giving up permanently by claiming early. For the spousal benefit question specifically, they explained that if you claim YOUR benefit early, any future spousal benefit gets the SAME reduction percentage applied. So if claiming at 62 reduces your benefit by 30%, your spousal benefit would also be reduced by about 30-35% from the full amount. One thing that really helped: I asked them to print out a worksheet showing my breakeven age for different scenarios. It turned out that if I lived past 79, waiting until FRA would give me more total lifetime benefits. Since I'm healthy and have good genes, waiting made sense for me. My advice: book an SSA appointment, bring a list of specific questions, and ask them to show you the actual dollar calculations for your situation. The generic advice online can only go so far - your specific earnings history makes all the difference in what strategy works best for you.

My friend was in a similar situation with an overseas pension from Canada and SS made him fill out some special form about it. I think they had to do some calculation with the exchange rate or something. Might want to ask specifically about that.

I'm a newcomer here but wanted to share what I've learned from my own research on this topic. For your New Zealand KiwiSaver question (#3), you're right to ask about this specifically. The SSA does have special procedures for foreign pensions and retirement accounts. From what I understand, they typically want documentation showing the nature of the account (whether it's government-sponsored, employer-contributed, etc.) and may require you to provide statements or other proof of the account balance and withdrawal amounts. The key is that like domestic retirement accounts, distributions from KiwiSaver shouldn't count as "earned income" for Social Security earnings test purposes. However, there could be complexity around how the SSA views the employer contribution portion versus your own contributions, especially since KiwiSaver has that mandatory employer contribution component. I'd definitely recommend having documentation ready about the account structure when you speak with SSA directly. Also, don't forget to check if there are any tax treaty implications between the US and New Zealand for those distributions - that's separate from the SSA rules but still important for your overall planning.

Update: I finally got through to SSA yesterday. They confirmed what everyone here said - the $255 death benefit isn't available if there's no surviving spouse or dependent child. They also told me they already had record of my dad's death from the funeral home's report, so that's one less thing to worry about. The representative helped me verify that his final payment will be returned automatically by the bank. Thanks everyone for your help and advice during this difficult time.

I'm so sorry for your loss, Isabella. I went through something very similar when my grandmother passed last year. It's frustrating how outdated the system feels - that $255 hasn't been adjusted since 1954! When you factor in inflation, it would need to be over $2,800 today to have the same purchasing power. It's honestly more of a symbolic gesture at this point rather than meaningful help with funeral expenses. The whole process of dealing with government agencies while grieving is just exhausting. Glad you finally got through and got everything sorted out.

As someone new to this community, I wanted to jump in and thank everyone for this incredibly informative discussion! I'm currently dealing with a similar situation where I'm on SSDI and may need to apply for survivor benefits soon, so reading through all these detailed explanations has been invaluable. One thing that really stands out to me is how much clearer this conversation has made the whole process compared to anything I've been able to find in official SSA materials. The distinction between the SSDI continuing and the separate medical evaluation for survivor benefits makes so much more sense now. Katherine, your questions were spot-on and I'm sure they'll help many people who find this thread in the future. The remarriage rules are particularly complex and it's great to see such thorough explanations from experienced community members. I also want to echo what others have said about keeping detailed records when dealing with SSA. I've started doing this with all my interactions and it's already proven helpful when I had to reference a previous conversation. This community seems like such a valuable resource for navigating these complicated benefit scenarios. Thank you all for sharing your knowledge and experiences!

As a newcomer to this community, I want to say how incredibly helpful this entire discussion has been! I'm currently navigating a similar situation where I've been on SSDI for several years and recently became eligible for survivor benefits, so Katherine's original questions and everyone's detailed responses have been invaluable. What really strikes me is how much more clearly this community explains these complex scenarios compared to the official SSA materials. The way everyone has broken down the difference between continuing SSDI status and the separate medical evaluation for survivor benefits finally makes sense to me. I was similarly confused about whether I would still be "officially disabled" after adding survivor benefits. I also appreciate all the practical advice shared here - from keeping detailed records of SSA conversations to understanding the earnings limits and remarriage rules. It's clear that many of us are dealing with similar complex benefit situations that SSA doesn't explain well in their standard communications. Thank you to Katherine for asking such thoughtful questions and to all the experienced members who took the time to provide such comprehensive answers. This thread will definitely be a valuable resource for others facing similar circumstances!

This has been such a helpful discussion to follow! I'm actually dealing with a very similar situation - I'll be reaching FRA in November 2025 and have been wrestling with the same decision about when to start benefits while continuing to work. Reading through everyone's experiences and insights has really clarified things for me. The point about keeping detailed earnings records by month is especially valuable - I never would have thought about that documentation being so important for the SSA's calculations. It's also reassuring to hear from people like Butch who went through this exact scenario and came out fine on the other side. The tax implications that Dmitry brought up are definitely something I need to research more for my own situation too. Thanks to everyone who shared their knowledge and experiences here!

This thread has been incredibly informative! As someone who's about to turn 62 and starting to think seriously about Social Security timing, I'm learning so much from everyone's real-world experiences. The distinction between earnings before and after FRA that several people explained is something I definitely didn't understand clearly before. I'm curious - for those of you who are continuing to work past FRA, have you found that your Social Security benefits get recalculated annually based on your ongoing earnings? I've heard that SSA automatically recalculates your benefit each year if your recent earnings are higher than what was used in your original calculation, but I'm not sure how that actually works in practice. It seems like that could potentially increase your monthly benefit amount even after you start collecting, which might be another factor to consider in the timing decision.