I did this in November it was really easy actually. The call lasted 15 minutes they just asked for my husbands ssn and marriage date and added the spousal part to my existing benifits. Money showed up 2 weeks later in my direct deposit.

As someone who just went through this process last month, I wanted to share a few practical tips for your upcoming call: 1. Have a calculator ready - it really helps to do the math yourself as they explain it. My rep walked me through it step by step which made everything much clearer. 2. Ask them to email or mail you a summary of the calculation after the call. This way you have it in writing and can review it later. 3. If your case is approved, ask about the effective date. Mine was retroactive to when I first became eligible, which resulted in a nice lump sum payment. 4. Don't be discouraged if the first rep seems unsure - I had to call back once because the first person gave me conflicting information about my early retirement reduction. The whole process took about 3 weeks from application to first payment, and I was really glad I applied. Given the difference between your benefits ($950 vs $2800), you'll very likely qualify for additional spousal benefits. Good luck with your call on the 24th!

Just to summarize what's been shared: you made the right choice filing at your FRA for your own benefit of $2200. When your husband files at 70, you'll continue receiving your own benefit since it exceeds what you'd get as a spouse (which would be 50% of his PIA, not 50% of his age-70 amount). Most importantly, if he predeceases you, you would step up to his full $3800 monthly benefit as a survivor. This is exactly why financial advisors often recommend the higher-earning spouse delay benefits until 70 - it creates a form of "longevity insurance" for the surviving spouse.

As a newcomer here, I just wanted to say thank you to everyone who contributed such helpful explanations! I'm approaching a similar situation with my own Social Security planning and this thread has been incredibly educational. The distinction between PIA vs. age-70 benefits for spousal calculations was something I didn't understand before. It's also reassuring to see how the survivor benefit works - that seems like such an important protection for couples where one spouse earned significantly more. One thing I'm curious about - does anyone know if there are any annual limits or caps on survivor benefits? Or would Nia really get the full $3800 monthly that her husband would be receiving at age 70?

The remarriage rule for widow's benefits only applies when you remarry someone OTHER than your deceased spouse. Since you remarried your same husband (not a different person), the "remarriage before age 60" restriction doesn't apply to your situation. When your husband passes away, you should be eligible for widow's benefits based on his earnings record, regardless of the fact that you remarried him before age 60. The key distinction is that you didn't marry a new person - you reconciled with and remarried your original spouse. I'd recommend contacting your local SSA office to confirm this applies to your specific situation and get it documented in your records.

Thank you everyone for all the helpful information! To summarize what I've learned: 1) My rental income (both US and Portugal) won't reduce my Social Security benefits 2) Since I'll be at FRA (67), the earnings test won't apply to me anyway 3) I need to watch out for the taxation thresholds since rental income could make more of my SS benefits taxable 4) I should look into the tax treaty between US and Portugal 5) I need to be aware of FBAR requirements for the foreign account This is such a relief! I'll talk to my tax advisor about the taxation issues, but I'm glad my actual benefit amount won't be reduced. Thanks again to everyone who responded!

Great summary Carmen! You've got all the key points covered. Just want to add one more thing that might be helpful - since you mentioned you're turning 67 next year, make sure to apply for your Social Security benefits about 3 months before you want them to start. The application process can take some time, and you don't want any delays in getting your first payment. Also, regarding the Portugal rental income - you'll want to convert those euros to dollars using the average exchange rate for the tax year when reporting on your US tax return. Your tax advisor should be able to help with that, but it's good to keep records of the exchange rates you use. Congratulations on your upcoming retirement!

i got so confused about all this that i paid for a consultation with a financial advisor who specializes in social security. cost me $300 but honestly it was worth it because this stuff is COMPLICATED!! especially with the survivor stuff and working while collecting. might be worth looking into?

I'm in a similar boat as a newcomer to all this - lost my husband last year and I'm 62 working full time. From reading all these responses, it sounds like the key things to understand are: 1) The earnings test will likely eliminate your benefits completely if you're significantly over the $23,400 limit, 2) You should still apply to establish eligibility even if you can't collect right now, and 3) Consider whether your own retirement benefit at 70 might be higher than the survivor benefit. One question I have after reading all this - if I apply now but can't collect due to earnings, do I still get the delayed retirement credits on my own record if I wait until 70 to switch? Or does applying for survivor benefits affect that somehow? This is all so confusing but everyone's experiences here are really helpful!