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.

One last tip - when you talk to SSA, ask them to run a benefits calculation called the "maximize my benefits" scenario, where they look at all possible filing strategies. Also, request a copy of your deceased ex-husband's Primary Insurance Amount (PIA) - that's the base figure they'll use for your potential survivor benefit before any reductions. Good luck, and feel free to come back with questions after your call!

Just wanted to add one more important point that hasn't been mentioned - make sure to ask SSA about the timing of when you can switch between benefits. If you do qualify for survivor benefits despite the GPO, you might be able to take a reduced survivor benefit as early as age 60, then switch to your own retirement benefit at 70 when it reaches maximum value. Or you could do the reverse - take your own benefit early and switch to survivor benefits later. The timing strategy can make a huge difference in your total lifetime benefits, especially with complex situations involving pensions. Also, don't let them rush you into making a decision on the phone - ask for time to review all the numbers they give you!

After reading all the comments, I think you should: 1. Download your complete earnings history from SS.gov 2. Identify your 35 highest-earning years after indexing for inflation 3. See if zero earnings at ages 68-69 would replace any of those 35 years 4. Use the detailed calculator on SS.gov that allows you to input future earnings as zero For most people with 40+ year work histories, two years of zeros won't significantly impact benefits. But it does depend on your specific earnings pattern. The delayed retirement credits (8% per year after FRA until 70) apply regardless of whether you're working. The SSA representative was likely correct that your benefit will be close to what's projected, but it's always best to verify with the detailed calculator.

I went through something very similar when I retired at 67 and delayed claiming until 70. Here's what I learned: the SS.gov estimates are generally pretty accurate even with a couple years of zero earnings, BUT it really depends on your earnings pattern. Since you've worked "non-stop for decades," you likely have well over 35 years of earnings history. The key question is whether your recent years (let's say last 10-15 years) have been significantly higher than your early career years after adjusting for inflation. Here's what I'd suggest: Log into your SS.gov account and look at your earnings history. If your early career years show much lower amounts (even after SS adjusts them for inflation), then yes, those two zero years at 68-69 could replace some of your higher earning years and reduce your benefit. The good news is that the 8% delayed retirement credits from your FRA to age 70 are absolutely guaranteed regardless of whether you work. That part won't change. I ended up using a fee-only financial planner who specializes in Social Security to run the numbers for me. Cost about $300 but gave me peace of mind on a decision worth hundreds of thousands over my lifetime. The difference between the estimate and actual amount was only about $80/month in my case.