Congratulations on finding love again! I'm happy to confirm what others have shared - since you're over 60, remarrying will not affect your survivor benefits from your ex-husband. The Social Security Administration allows you to keep these benefits regardless of remarriage after age 60. Just make sure to notify SSA about your marriage for their records, especially if you plan to change your name. You can do this by calling their customer service line, visiting a local office, or submitting the appropriate forms online through your my Social Security account. One additional consideration: if your new spouse has a higher Social Security benefit than what you're currently receiving, you might eventually have the option to switch to spousal benefits based on their record - but only if it would result in a higher monthly payment for you. SSA will always pay you the higher amount. Wishing you all the best in this exciting new chapter of your life!

Logan, congratulations on finding love again! This is such wonderful news. I'm a Social Security beneficiary myself and want to reassure you that you're absolutely safe to remarry. The age 60 rule is key here - since you're 65, your survivor benefits will continue unchanged after marriage. I went through something similar when my neighbor was considering remarriage at 63. We spent hours researching this together, and everything we found confirmed that remarriage after 60 protects your survivor benefits. She did get married and has been happily collecting her benefits for two years now. One small tip from her experience: when you do notify SSA about your marriage, try to do it sooner rather than later, especially if you're changing your name. It makes things smoother for tax season and any future correspondence with them. Don't let financial worries hold you back from happiness - you've earned both your benefits and this new relationship! Wishing you and your partner all the best.

One thing nobody's mentioned - working part-time might let you delay claiming Social Security longer, which could MORE than offset any small reduction from lower earnings. Every year you delay claiming between your Full Retirement Age and 70 adds 8% to your lifetime benefit. That's huge! So if part-time work provides enough income to postpone claiming by even a year or two, you could end up with a LARGER monthly benefit despite the reduced earnings.

I was in a similar situation 5 years ago and can share what I learned! I was making $95k and switched to part-time consulting at 59. The key insight is that Social Security benefits are based on your Average Indexed Monthly Earnings (AIME) from your highest 35 years, not your final years. Here's what helped me decide: I logged into my Social Security account and looked at my earnings history. My early career years from the 1980s and 1990s, even after being indexed for inflation, were still much lower than what I could make part-time ($30k). So those part-time years actually IMPROVED my benefit calculation by replacing some of those lower indexed years. The other factor is timing - if part-time work allows you to delay claiming until 67 or 70 (instead of 62), that 8% annual increase in benefits from delayed retirement credits will far outweigh any small reduction from lower earnings in your final years. My advice: run the numbers on your specific situation, but don't let fear of a small benefit reduction keep you from enjoying better work-life balance in your 60s. The peace of mind and extra time with family has been priceless for me.

I've been following this issue closely as someone who worked both in the private sector and local government. From what I understand, the confusion might stem from the fact that the Social Security Fairness Act (H.R. 82) did pass the House with bipartisan support, but it still needs to clear the Senate. That might be where the rumors are coming from - people hearing about "passage" but not realizing it's only halfway through the process. The reality is that even if it does eventually become law, implementation would take time. SSA would need months to reprogram their systems and recalculate benefits for millions of people. So even in the best case scenario, we're probably looking at late 2025 or 2026 before any actual payments would change. I'd recommend signing up for SSA's email updates and following the bill's progress on congress.gov rather than relying on word-of-mouth. The stakes are too high to get our hopes up based on incomplete information.

I'm in a similar situation as a retired teacher from Texas who also worked in private industry for 15 years. The WEP reduction has been frustrating, but I wanted to share what I've learned from attending a recent Social Security workshop at our local senior center. The presenter (a former SSA employee) emphasized that legitimate changes to WEP will ALWAYS be announced through official channels first - SSA's website, press releases, and then individual notices to affected beneficiaries. She warned us about misinformation spreading through social media and word-of-mouth, which can get people's hopes up unnecessarily. One thing that might help while waiting for potential reform: if you haven't already, request a detailed breakdown of how your WEP reduction was calculated. Sometimes there are errors, and you have the right to appeal if you believe the calculation is wrong. Also, keep good records of all your earnings - both covered and non-covered employment - as you may need them if/when any changes are implemented. The waiting is hard, but it's better to get accurate information than to be disappointed by rumors. Thanks to everyone who shared factual updates here - this kind of discussion really helps!

I just want to say how CRAZY it is that you have THREE DEGREES and can't find work!!! Age discrimination is so real and nobody talks about it enough. My husband has been dealing with the same thing - he's 62 with an MBA and 30 years experience but nobody will hire him. They never say it's because of age but we all know that's what it is. The whole system is broken!!

I'm so sorry you're dealing with this difficult situation. As someone who went through a similar decision process, I wanted to share a few thoughts that might help. First, the reality is that your current financial stress is costing you more than just money - it's affecting your quality of life and probably your health too. Sometimes the "mathematically optimal" choice isn't the right choice for your actual circumstances. That said, before you decide, I'd suggest doing a few things: 1. Use one of those comprehensive calculators others mentioned to see your actual break-even point 2. Look into whether you qualify for any state programs that could pay you as a caregiver (even if your sister resists initially, showing her the financial benefit might change her mind) 3. Consider whether you could supplement SS with some remote work - tutoring, consulting, or even part-time remote positions that wouldn't interfere with caregiving The fact that you're only 64 means you're not taking benefits super early, and the reduction isn't as severe as it would be at 62. Plus, if your employment situation does improve later, you have options to optimize. Whatever you decide, don't let anyone make you feel bad about it. You're dealing with real circumstances that require real solutions, not textbook answers.

Thanks everyone for your help! Just to summarize what I've learned:1) I can stop working anytime in March 2025 without penalty since that's my FRA month2) I should apply about 3 months before (Dec 2024)3) I'll get my first payment in April 2025 for March benefits4) I need to be aware of earnings limits for Jan-Feb 2025 but I'll be fine with my salaryThis community has been SO much more helpful than my HR department! 😊

Perfect summary! You've got all the key points covered. Just one additional tip - when you apply in December, make sure to have your recent tax returns and W-2s handy as they might ask for income verification. Also, if you haven't already, create a my Social Security account at ssa.gov to track your application status and eventually manage your benefits online. It's really convenient to have everything in one place. Best of luck with your retirement!