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One other thing nobody mentioned - if 2025 is your first year of retirement, you can use the monthly earnings test instead of the annual one. This means after you officially retire, you can make as much as you want for the remainder of the year before retirement, and then be limited to $1,860/month ($22,320 ÷ 12) for any month after retirement. This is a big advantage in the first year! After 2025, you'd be subject to the annual limit only.
That's really good to know! So basically as long as I genuinely retire in February, and make sure my vacation payout happens in February too, I should be fine for the rest of 2025 as long as I don't earn over $1,860 in any single month. This is all so complicated, but I'm starting to understand it better.
Just wanted to add one more important detail that might help - when you do contact Social Security to report your retirement, be very specific about your work end date versus payment dates. I've found it helpful to have three key pieces of information ready: (1) your official last day of work, (2) what earnings period your final paycheck covers, and (3) the exact amounts for regular wages versus any vacation/bonus payouts. SSA representatives deal with this timing issue constantly, but having all the details organized makes the conversation much smoother. Also, keep copies of everything your employer gives you about the payments - you might need to reference it later if there are any questions about your earnings record.
This is excellent advice! I'm definitely going to create a little file with all these details organized before I call SSA. It sounds like having everything documented upfront will save me a lot of headaches later. I really appreciate everyone's help on this - I was so stressed about making a mistake that would mess up my benefits, but now I feel much more confident about the timing and what I need to tell them.
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Update: I called SSA this morning (was on hold for over an hour) but finally got through. The agent confirmed everything you all said - I need to submit Form SSA-521 before my April entitlement date, and yes, this does count as my one-lifetime withdrawal even though I haven't received payments yet. They're mailing me the form today, but the agent also mentioned I could download it from ssa.gov and submit it immediately. I'm going to do that and also mail a copy with delivery confirmation. Thanks everyone for your help! Can't wait to rejoin the working world (never thought I'd say that!).
Glad you got through to SSA and have a clear path forward! Smart move downloading and submitting the form right away rather than waiting for the mail. Just a heads up - when you do eventually file for Social Security again (whether at FRA or 70), make sure to mention this previous withdrawal application to the SSA agent. Sometimes it helps them locate your complete file history more quickly. Best of luck with returning to healthcare administration - sounds like you'll be much happier back in the working world!
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my sil got in big trouble with SS cuz she went over the limit and didnt tell them. they made her pay back thousands!! make sure u report if u earn more than u think
That's an important warning. The SSA requires you to report if your earnings will exceed the annual limit. If you don't and they find out later (which they will through tax records), you'll face an overpayment situation and have to pay back benefits. Always better to report changes proactively!
Don't forget to consider your health insurance situation too! If you're getting health benefits through your part-time job, that might factor into your decision about when to claim. Medicare doesn't start until 65, so if you need those employer benefits to bridge the gap, that could influence your timing. Also, since you mentioned being overwhelmed - the SSA website has a really helpful retirement estimator tool that lets you plug in different scenarios to see how your monthly payments would differ at 62, 64, FRA, or even waiting until 70. It helped me visualize the long-term impact much better than just reading about percentages!
That's such a great point about health insurance! I completely forgot to factor that in. My part-time bookkeeping job does provide decent health coverage, and you're right that Medicare doesn't kick in until 65. That gap year could be expensive if I had to get my own insurance. I'll definitely check out that retirement estimator tool too - seeing the actual dollar amounts at different ages will probably make this decision much clearer than trying to calculate percentages in my head. Thanks for thinking of those practical details!
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dont forget about checking if your state has any widow assistance programs too! some states have emergency funds or special programs. worth looking into while waiting for SS benefits
I'm so sorry you're facing this difficult situation. As someone who works with Social Security cases, I want to add a few important points that might help with your planning: First, make sure to verify that your marriage duration meets SSA requirements - you need to have been married for at least 9 months before your passing for your wife to qualify for survivor benefits (there are some exceptions for accidental death). Second, consider having your wife create her my Social Security account online NOW if she hasn't already. This will make it much easier for her to track benefits and apply when the time comes. Also, if your wife decides to work more hours to compensate for lost income during that 8-year gap, remind her that higher earnings now could increase her own Social Security retirement benefit later. The SSA uses your highest 35 years of earnings, so additional work years might replace some lower-earning years in her calculation. Finally, don't overlook potential benefits from other sources during the gap - things like your employer's life insurance, 401k survivor benefits, or even COBRA health insurance continuation might help bridge that period until she can claim Social Security survivor benefits. Wishing you and your wife strength during this challenging time.
Lilly Curtis
my mom died last year too and i had same problem!! waited forever for her ss-1099 then gave up and did taxes without it. big mistake!! got a letter from irs 6 months later saying we underpaid taxes bc didn't report all her income!! had to file amended return and pay penalty and interest!! dont do what i did lol. definitely wait for that form or get an official replacement!!
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Leo Simmons
•OMG that sounds awful! Sorry you had to deal with that on top of losing your mom. The IRS can be so heartless sometimes. Did they at least reduce the penalty when you explained the situation?
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Max Reyes
•Thanks for sharing your experience, though I'm sorry you had to go through that. I'll definitely make sure I have the official 1099 before filing. Did you eventually get the form, or did you have to get the information some other way?
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Mikayla Davison
hey just checking in - did you end up getting your dads 1099 yet? mine just came yesterday for my mom so maybe yours is on the way
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Max Reyes
•Just got it in the mail today, actually! Thanks for checking. Now to figure out the rest of his final tax filing...
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Adrian Connor
•Glad to hear it arrived! One more tip for your father's final return: if your father had any uncashed Social Security checks at the time of his death, those are considered income for the estate, not income for his final personal tax return. This is different from direct deposits received while he was alive, which do go on his final personal return. Just wanted to mention this since it's a common area of confusion.
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