I went through this exact same situation last year! Like others mentioned, it's completely normal for there to be a delay. What helped ease my anxiety was setting a calendar reminder for mid-April to check again. That way I wasn't constantly worrying about it but also wouldn't forget to follow up if needed. The waiting is definitely nerve-wracking when you're used to seeing your earnings update promptly, but the system just needs time to process everything from millions of employers across the country.

I'm new to checking my Social Security earnings record and just had the same exact worry! My 2024 earnings are also showing as $0 even though I worked all year. Reading through everyone's responses here is so helpful - I had no idea this was such a common concern or that there's always this 2-3 month delay. It makes perfect sense when you think about how many W-2s need to be processed nationwide. I'm going to follow the advice about setting a calendar reminder for April and checking with my HR department first if nothing shows up by then. Thanks everyone for sharing your experiences!

I'm so sorry for your loss, Zainab. Navigating Social Security after losing a spouse is overwhelming, especially when you're trying to protect your disabled son's benefits. From what I've seen in my own situation (lost my husband 3 years ago), here's what I wish someone had told me upfront: The Family Maximum Benefit is the big issue you need to focus on. Since your son is already receiving 75% of your husband's benefit as a survivor, adding your survivor benefit will almost certainly trigger the FMB cap and reduce his payments. The total family benefits can't exceed about 150-180% of your husband's benefit amount. Given that you're job hunting and potentially looking at $62K annually, the earnings test would wipe out most of your survivor benefits anyway (you'd lose about $20K in benefits due to the $22,320 earnings limit). My recommendation: Don't file for survivor benefits until either: 1. You reach your FRA in 2026 (no earnings limit then) 2. You find a job paying less than $22K annually 3. You decide not to work This way you protect your son's current 75% benefit rate and avoid the complexity of the family maximum calculations. Your son's needs should definitely come first, and it sounds like his current benefit amount is crucial for his care. At your appointment, definitely ask them to run the numbers both ways so you can see exactly how filing would affect his benefits. Get it in writing if possible.

I'm a newcomer here but wanted to share what I learned from my own survivor benefits journey last year. The advice about waiting until FRA or lower earnings is spot-on. One thing I didn't see mentioned - when you do your appointment, ask them to provide you with a "what-if" scenario worksheet showing exactly how the family maximum would split between you and your son at different benefit amounts. Some offices can print this out for you. Also, since you mentioned your husband might have taken the 6-month retroactive option, that could actually work in your favor down the line. If he did take it, his benefit amount for survivor calculations might be slightly higher than his actual monthly payments were. The system IS deliberately confusing, but you're asking all the right questions. Your instinct to protect your son's benefits first is absolutely correct. At $62K earnings, you'd essentially be working to pay back Social Security rather than receiving meaningful benefits. Good luck with your appointment - bring a notebook and don't be afraid to ask them to repeat or clarify anything!

As someone who works in financial services, I can confirm that for most retirement-related processes, you really don't need the physical card. However, I'd suggest considering getting a replacement for one reason many people haven't mentioned: if you ever need to help elderly parents or relatives with their SSA paperwork, having experience with the current replacement process could be valuable. Also, if you're planning any major financial moves in retirement (like relocating to a different state, consolidating accounts, or setting up trusts), some institutions still request to see the physical card as part of their enhanced identity verification procedures. The online process is pretty painless when you can do it from the comfort of your home versus potentially needing it urgently later when you're dealing with other stressful situations.

Just wanted to chime in as someone who went through the replacement process last year at age 67. I was in almost the exact same situation - hadn't seen my card since the 1980s! What ultimately convinced me to get a replacement was when my financial advisor mentioned that some estate planning documents and certain investment transfers can be expedited if you have the physical card on hand. The online process through ssa.gov was surprisingly simple - I was worried it would be complicated, but it literally took about 10 minutes to complete the application. The card arrived in about 12 days. Now I keep it in my safe deposit box and honestly feel better knowing I have it if needed. That said, you're absolutely right that you've managed 40 years without it, so it's really a personal choice about peace of mind versus convenience!

Just wanted to add - if you're still working and getting those delayed retirement credits, make sure you understand how they're calculated. You get 8% per year (or 2/3% per month) that you delay past your FRA, up to age 70. So if you're 66 and 8 months now and delay until 70, that's an extra 26.67% on your monthly benefit for life! Pretty significant. I wish I had been able to delay mine.

This is such valuable information! As someone who's been trying to understand these rules for months, I really appreciate everyone breaking this down so clearly. I had the same misconception about spousal benefits including delayed retirement credits - seems like that's a pretty common misunderstanding. One thing I'm still wondering about - if the original poster continues working and earning delayed retirement credits, does that impact the timing of when her husband should claim spousal benefits? Like, is there any advantage to waiting until she actually files her own claim, or should he go ahead and file now since the spousal benefit calculation won't change regardless of when she claims? Also want to echo what others said about the Claimyr service - I used it last month to get through to SSA about my mom's Medicare questions and it was a lifesaver. Worth the small fee to avoid the endless hold times and busy signals.

Thanks everyone for the advice! I've decided to file when I turn 70 in a few months. I'll make sure to set aside enough for taxes since I'll be dealing with both work income and SS benefits. Really appreciate all the insights!

Just want to echo what others have said here - there's definitely no financial advantage to waiting past 70! I made this mistake myself and didn't file until I was 71 because I thought there might be some additional benefit for high earners who continue working. Nope! I basically threw away a year of payments that I can never recover. The good news is that once you do file at 70, you can absolutely continue working without any penalty. I've been collecting for 3 years now while still running my small business, and the SSA automatically recalculates my benefit each year if my current earnings are higher than one of my previous 35 years. It's actually pretty seamless. One thing to consider for tax planning - you might want to talk to a CPA about quarterly estimated payments once you start receiving both SS and business income. The tax withholding can get tricky when you have multiple income sources, but it's definitely manageable. Don't let tax concerns keep you from claiming what you've earned!