the kids benefits DO end when they turn 18 or graduate high school (up to 19 if still in high school) so keep that in mind for ur planning

I'm new to this community but going through a similar situation with early retirement and family benefits. This thread has been incredibly helpful! I had no idea about the family maximum rule and how it actually works. One quick question for those who've been through this - when you're calculating your family's total monthly budget, do you factor in the possibility that the family maximum calculation might change if Social Security recalculates your PIA? I've heard sometimes there are adjustments made after you start receiving benefits, especially in the first year. Also, @Sean Matthews, thanks for starting this discussion. The conflicting information from SSA reps is so frustrating - it's reassuring to know others have experienced the same thing!

My neighbor did something similar but she put all her SS money in I bonds last year when the rates were really good!

Your strategy sounds solid! I'm in a similar situation - turning 66 this year and considering the same approach. One thing I'd add is to make sure you understand how the taxation works with your specific income level. Since you mentioned you don't actually need the money yet, you might want to consider maximizing contributions to tax-deferred accounts (401k, traditional IRA if eligible) with your work income to help offset some of the tax impact from the SS benefits. Also, have you factored in potential healthcare costs? If you're planning to retire in January 2026, you'll want to make sure you have a solid plan for health insurance coverage between then and Medicare eligibility if you're not already on it. The extra cash flow from SS starting now could help build up an HSA if you have access to one through work.

Thanks everyone for the great information! I was definitely overthinking this. I'll stop worrying about the 2024 earnings not showing up yet. Does anyone know if I should be checking my earnings record for accuracy every year? I've never really paid attention to it before now that retirement is getting closer.

Great advice from everyone here! I'm in a similar situation preparing for retirement. One thing I'd add - if you do find any discrepancies when checking your earnings record, make sure to keep copies of your W-2s and tax returns as documentation. I learned this the hard way when I had to prove earnings from a job 15 years ago and had to track down old records. The SSA will accept various forms of proof including pay stubs, tax returns, and employer records, but having your own copies makes the process much smoother.

Final update: You all have been so helpful through this stressful situation! I wanted to share what's happened after taking your advice. I filed all the recommended reports and placed credit freezes. The credit card companies closed the fraudulent accounts after I sent death certificates. The most progress came after using that Claimyr service someone suggested to reach SSA directly. I actually got through to a knowledgeable agent who confirmed my husband's death was properly recorded but explained the earnings issue slipped through during employer reporting. They're removing the false earnings and flagging his SSN in their system for enhanced monitoring. They also connected me with their OIG (Office of Inspector General) to ensure a thorough investigation. It's been exhausting but I feel like I've done everything possible to shut this down. Thank you all again for your guidance through this ordeal!

Thank you for sharing your experience and updates throughout this ordeal - it's incredibly helpful for others who might face similar situations. Your systematic approach to handling this identity theft was exactly right. I'm glad the Claimyr service helped you get through to a knowledgeable SSA agent who could actually resolve the earnings issue and set up enhanced monitoring. One additional tip for anyone reading this thread: if you're dealing with deceased family member identity theft, consider requesting annual Social Security statements for the deceased person (if you're the legal representative). This can help you catch fraudulent activity early before it becomes as extensive as what happened here with the credit cards. It's unfortunate that protecting deceased loved ones' identities requires so much effort, but your detailed documentation of the process will definitely help others navigate this same nightmare.

Thank you all for the helpful responses! This clears up a lot of my confusion. It sounds like I should expect my 2024 earnings to be reflected in SSA's systems by mid-2025, and since I'm planning to wait until 2026 to apply for benefits, those earnings will definitely be included in my initial benefit calculation. That's a relief since 2023 was such a low year for me during medical leave.

I went through something similar a few years back when I had a career gap. One thing to keep in mind is that Social Security also indexes your earnings for inflation when calculating benefits, so your older earnings get adjusted upward. This means that even though your 2024 earnings will be higher in raw dollars, the indexed value of your previous good earning years might still be competitive depending on how long ago they were. You can get a rough estimate by looking at the wage indexing factors on SSA's website - they publish these annually. It might help you better understand whether your 2024 return to work will significantly boost your eventual benefit or just marginally improve it.