One thing I'd add - since you're planning to work until June but start benefits in January, make sure your employer knows about your SS benefits starting. Sometimes HR departments need to adjust payroll withholdings or update their records. Also, you might want to consider whether you'll need to make estimated tax payments since SS benefits can be taxable depending on your total income. With your work income plus SS benefits, you could potentially owe more taxes than what's being withheld. The IRS has worksheets to help calculate if your SS will be taxable - generally if your combined income (AGI + nontaxable interest + half of SS benefits) exceeds $25,000 for single filers or $32,000 for married filing jointly, some portion becomes taxable.

As someone who just went through this process last year, I can confirm the online application is definitely the way to go! A few additional tips based on my experience: 1) Make sure you print or save a copy of your completed application confirmation - the SSA system sometimes has glitches and having your confirmation number is crucial if you need to follow up. 2) Don't be surprised if they ask for additional documentation even after you submit everything online. I had to upload a copy of my marriage certificate even though I included all the dates in the original application. 3) Consider setting up direct deposit to a checking account rather than savings - some banks charge fees for government deposits to savings accounts. The whole process took about 6 weeks from application to first payment, so applying in October/November for January benefits should give you plenty of buffer time. Good luck!

As someone who works in HR and deals with retirement benefits questions regularly, I can definitely confirm that your coworker is completely wrong! The automatic recomputation system is one of the best-kept secrets of Social Security - it absolutely does work, and you will see increases if your current earnings are higher than some of your earlier years. What many people don't realize is that this recomputation happens every single year you continue working and paying into Social Security, regardless of your age. So even if you work until 70, 72, or beyond, SSA will keep comparing your new earnings to your lowest years in that "highest 35" calculation. Given that you're earning $95,000 now versus some years in the $40,000-$45,000 range, you're almost certainly going to see some meaningful increases. Based on what I've seen with employees who've gone through this process, increases in the $40-80/month range are pretty typical when there's that kind of earnings gap. The timing is predictable too - SSA processes these recomputations around October each year for the previous year's earnings, and you'll see any increase in your December payment. You should receive a notice, though many people miss these letters since they're not very conspicuous. My advice: keep working if you enjoy it and can, and keep track of your benefit amounts so you can spot the increases when they happen. Your coworker's information is not just wrong, it's potentially costing people money by discouraging them from making informed decisions about their work timeline!

As someone who's been through this exact situation, I can absolutely confirm your coworker is wrong! I worked 3 years past my FRA and saw my Social Security benefit increase each year through the automatic recomputation process. The key thing to understand is that SSA recalculates your benefit annually based on your highest 35 years of indexed earnings. Since you're currently making $95,000 compared to those earlier $40,000-$45,000 years, you're very likely to see meaningful increases as those lower years get replaced in the calculation. In my experience, the increases were modest but consistent - I saw bumps of $38-$52 per month each year I continued working. While that might not seem huge, remember that these increases are permanent and get cost-of-living adjustments for the rest of your retirement, so they add up significantly over time. The timing is pretty predictable: SSA typically processes these recomputations in October for the previous year's earnings, and you'll see any increase reflected in your December payment. They do send notice letters, but they're easy to miss. My advice would be to create a my Social Security account online if you haven't already - you can track your earnings record there and get a better sense of which low-earning years your current salary might replace. Also, take a screenshot of your annual benefit verification letter so you can easily spot when increases occur. Don't let your coworker's misinformation discourage you from continuing to work if that's what you want to do. The system absolutely rewards continued earnings past FRA!

Just want to add my experience as someone who went through this process 6 months ago in California. I initially planned to delay Medicare Part B like you're considering, but after reading about the penalties, I decided to enroll in everything at once through the Social Security website. The whole process took about 45 minutes online, and I was able to compare Medicare Advantage plans right there. One thing that really helped me was calling my current doctors' offices first to ask which Medicare plans they accept - saved me from picking a plan and then finding out I'd need to switch providers. Also, if you're taking any medications regularly, definitely use that Medicare.gov prescription plan finder tool that others mentioned. It literally saved me hundreds of dollars by showing me which Part D plan would be cheapest for my specific prescriptions. The peace of mind of having everything set up without penalties was worth not waiting those extra months to research. You can always change plans during the next open enrollment period if you find something better!

As someone who just went through this process last year, I'd strongly recommend doing everything at once rather than delaying. I know it seems overwhelming, but the penalties for missing those enrollment windows are no joke - they really are permanent and follow you for life. Here's what worked for me: I set aside a weekend to research everything thoroughly. Started with the Medicare.gov website to understand my options, then used their plan finder tool to compare Part D prescription plans based on my actual medications. For Medicare Advantage vs Original Medicare, I called my primary care doctor and specialists to confirm which plans they accepted. The Social Security application process was actually pretty straightforward once I had done my homework. You can complete everything online in one session - SS retirement benefits, Medicare Parts A & B, and Part D enrollment. Just make sure you have your medication list ready if you're comparing Part D plans. California has some good Medicare Advantage options, but definitely verify your doctors are in-network first. The extra benefits like dental and vision sound great until you realize you can't see your current providers. Whatever you choose, just don't risk those late enrollment penalties by waiting too long!

One thing I haven't seen mentioned yet is the Medicare implications. When you pass away, your wife's Medicare coverage won't change - she'll keep her own Medicare benefits. However, if you currently have a Medicare Supplement (Medigap) policy or Medicare Advantage plan that covers both of you, she may need to adjust her coverage since those policies are typically individual. Also, if she's currently covered under your employer health insurance and you're both retired, make sure she understands what happens to that coverage. Some employer plans allow surviving spouses to continue coverage through COBRA, but it can be expensive. It's worth reviewing all your insurance coverage now - not just Social Security - to make sure she has a clear picture of what changes and what stays the same. This includes life insurance policies that might help bridge the financial gap during the Social Security transition period.

I'm a financial planner and want to add some perspective on timing that might help with your planning. While everyone's mentioned the 6-8 week processing time, there's actually a "protective filing date" option that's worth knowing about. If your wife calls SSA within a reasonable time after your death (even if she doesn't have all the documents ready), they can establish a filing date that protects her benefits from that point forward. This means if she calls in January but doesn't complete the full application until March due to missing paperwork, her benefits could still be calculated from the January date. The key is making that initial contact promptly, even if she's not ready to complete everything immediately. Also, since you're both at FRA, there's no reduction in survivor benefits - she'll get 100% of your Primary Insurance Amount. If you were to delay your retirement benefits past FRA to earn delayed retirement credits, those credits would also transfer to her as survivor benefits, potentially increasing what she'd receive beyond your current $2,800.

As someone completely new to this community, I have to say this thread is absolutely incredible! I stumbled upon it while researching potential Social Security application issues, and wow - what an amazing example of collaborative problem-solving. Watching how @Liam McGuire's initial frustration with the missing submit button transformed into this comprehensive troubleshooting resource has been genuinely inspiring. The systematic approach that emerged here is brilliant - from checking for hidden "Ready to Submit" tabs to disabling ad blockers, looking for electronic signature sections, trying different browsers, and even considering maintenance windows and VPN interference. It's like having a complete technical support manual written by real people who actually solved these problems. I'm still several years away from needing to apply for Social Security benefits myself, but I'm absolutely bookmarking this entire thread. When that time comes, I'll feel so much more confident knowing there's this detailed checklist of solutions available. It's honestly better than any official SSA help documentation I've seen! This is exactly what I was hoping to find when I joined this community - real people sharing practical solutions and supporting each other through frustrating government processes. Thank you to everyone who took the time to document their experiences and troubleshooting steps. You've turned what could be an isolating and stressful process into something with clear, actionable solutions. This kind of mutual support makes dealing with bureaucracy feel so much less overwhelming!

What an incredible thread to discover as a newcomer to this community! I'm absolutely amazed by how @Liam McGuire's initial frustration with the SSA website has evolved into this comprehensive troubleshooting masterclass. Reading through everyone's contributions - from the hidden "Ready to Submit" tab discovery to ad blocker interference, browser compatibility issues, electronic signature requirements, and even maintenance window timing - it's like having access to the ultimate SSA application survival guide. I'm not quite ready to apply for benefits yet, but as someone who gets really anxious about navigating government websites, this thread has been incredibly reassuring. The systematic approach that emerged here gives me so much confidence for when my time comes. It's remarkable how this community transformed what could have been an isolated, frustrating experience into this amazing shared knowledge resource. The collaborative spirit here is exactly what I was hoping to find when I joined. Everyone kept building on each other's solutions, and @Liam McGuire coming back to share what actually worked shows what a supportive group this is. I'm definitely bookmarking this entire thread - it's honestly more helpful than any official SSA documentation I've encountered. Thank you to everyone who took the time to share their experiences and solutions. You've made the prospect of dealing with government bureaucracy feel so much less intimidating!