btw you should know they don't make the first SS payment right ON your birthday month. My dad had to wait until the month AFTER he turned 66 to get his first payment. something about how they pay for the previous month or something weird like that

Update: We received the Direct Express card in the mail yesterday! Just as many of you predicted. We're going to use it for now and then go to the local SSA office next month to see about switching to direct deposit once we set up a joint checking account. Thanks everyone for your help and advice!

Thanks for all the helpful responses! I appreciate everyone sharing their experiences. Sounds like calling is my best option, but I'll try that service if I can't get through. I'll make sure to verify the suspension took effect by checking my online account afterward. And I'll definitely set up separate Medicare premium payments right away so there's no gap in coverage. Thanks again!

One thing I'd add that hasn't been mentioned yet - if you're working and earning income while collecting Social Security, suspending your benefits might actually save you from the earnings test complications too. Even though the earnings test doesn't apply after FRA, some people don't realize they're still subject to it in the year they reach FRA for months before their birthday month. Also, since you mentioned your financial situation changed and you don't need the income right now, consider whether you might want to do some Roth conversions during the suspension period while your taxable income is lower. The delayed retirement credits are guaranteed, but having more tax-free income in retirement through Roth accounts could be another nice benefit of this strategy. Good luck with the process!

One more important thing to consider - are you still contributing to a 401(k) or other tax-deferred retirement account? If so, those contributions reduce your countable income for the earnings test. So if you're making $70,000 but contributing $8,000 to a 401(k), your countable earnings would only be $62,000 - under the limit! This is a strategy many people overlook.

I went through a very similar situation in 2023! One thing that really helped me was creating a month-by-month earnings tracker to make sure I stayed under the limit. Since you're planning to start benefits in February, you'll want to be extra careful about tracking your cumulative earnings from January forward. Also, don't forget that the earnings limit only applies to W-2 wages and self-employment income - it doesn't include things like pension payments, investment income, or rental income. So if you have any other income sources, those won't count against your $62,160 limit. The 401(k) contribution strategy that Zainab mentioned is gold! I increased my contributions by about $10,000 that year specifically to stay under the earnings limit, and it worked perfectly. Just make sure your payroll department processes the contribution changes quickly enough to affect your early paychecks. One last tip: Keep detailed records of everything. SSA sometimes makes mistakes in calculating earnings, and having your own documentation makes resolving any issues much faster. Good luck with whatever you decide!

Thanks everyone for the helpful responses! I'm going to log into mySocialSecurity and use the detailed calculator to get a more accurate estimate based on stopping work at 57. Sounds like I should expect somewhat of a reduction from the $1,986 figure, but hopefully not too dramatic since I have a full 35-year work history already. I might also try calling SSA directly to get their calculation. That Claimyr service someone mentioned sounds worth trying if I can't get through on my own. This has been really eye-opening - I had no idea the estimates assumed continued earnings! Makes me wonder what other retirement planning assumptions I might be missing...

One thing to keep in mind is that even if your benefit amount decreases by stopping work at 57, you might still come out ahead financially depending on your situation. If you're planning to retire early anyway, you'll have 5 years without work-related expenses (commuting, work clothes, etc.) and potentially lower taxes. Plus, if you can avoid tapping into retirement accounts during those 5 years and let them grow, the compound interest might offset some of the Social Security reduction. Just make sure you have a solid plan for health insurance during that gap period before Medicare kicks in at 65!

Based on your follow-up comments, it seems you've reached the right conclusion - there's no advantage for your husband to apply for spousal benefits since his SSDI is higher than what he'd receive as a spouse. One additional consideration: While your husband's benefit automatically converts at FRA with no change in amount, you might want to reconsider your own claiming strategy. By claiming at 62, you're accepting a permanent reduction of around 30% compared to your FRA benefit. Since you mentioned continuing to work part-time, you might be subject to the earnings test as another commenter noted. The earnings limit for 2025 will likely be around $23,000-24,000 (it adjusts with inflation), and benefits are reduced by $1 for every $2 earned above that limit until the year you reach FRA. If your earnings will be substantially above the limit, it might be worth reconsidering claiming early, as you'd essentially be filing for a reduced benefit that you may not even fully receive due to the earnings test.

Just wanted to add another perspective as someone who went through a similar decision process. You're smart to really think through the earnings test impact - that caught me off guard when I first considered early retirement. One thing that helped me was using the SSA's online retirement estimator to model different scenarios. You can plug in various claiming ages and expected earnings to see how the earnings test would affect your actual benefits received. Also, don't forget that any benefits withheld due to the earnings test aren't permanently lost - they get added back to increase your benefit amount once you reach FRA. But if you're planning to work part-time for several years, it might indeed make more sense to delay claiming until the earnings test no longer applies. Given that your husband's situation is pretty straightforward (his SSDI benefit is already optimized), you have the flexibility to focus entirely on what makes the most sense for your own claiming strategy without worrying about coordinating with his benefits.