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my uncle retired at 65 but waited till 68 to claim SS. he said it was the best financial decision he ever made. he's 88 now and says hes WAY ahead with the higher monthly amount. something to think about.
Don't forget about Medicare!!!! You should sign up for that at 65 even if you delay SS benefits!!!! I messed this up and am paying higher premiums forever as a penalty!!!
Thank you for the reminder! I already applied for Medicare when I turned 65 last month, but that's an important point for anyone else reading this thread.
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Just want to add something most people don't realize - if your ex dies, the rules change completely! Then you'd be eligible for survivor benefits which could be up to 100% of what your ex was receiving (not just 50%). Since he's 68 and already collecting, this is something to be aware of for future planning, even though nobody wants to think about that scenario.
That's actually really helpful to know. I hadn't considered survivor benefits at all. So if my ex passes away, I could potentially receive his full benefit amount if it's higher than mine? Is there any way to know what he's receiving now so I can compare it to my own PIA?
You're correct that survivor benefits work differently. If your ex passes away, you could receive up to 100% of what he was receiving (not just 50% of his PIA). However, SSA won't tell you what your ex-spouse is receiving - that's private information. You'd only find out the survivor benefit amount if/when you apply for it after his passing. But you could make an educated guess based on his work history - if he had higher earnings than you throughout his career, his benefit might be higher than yours. If you're unsure, it's best to file for survivor benefits if that unfortunate event occurs, as SSA will automatically give you the higher of the two benefits anyway.
Thanks everyone for the helpful explanations. I feel much clearer about my options now. Since I was born in 1958, I'm subject to the newer rules and can't do a restricted application. I'm going to crunch some numbers to decide whether to claim now at my FRA or wait until 70. Given my family history of longevity (both parents lived past 90), I'm leaning toward waiting to maximize my lifetime benefit, but I need to make sure I can afford to wait financially. I still wish the SSA rep had explained all this to me on the phone! They just said "no" without explaining why or what my options were. Really appreciate everyone taking the time to walk me through this.
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One more important thing - if you decide to take your own retirement benefit early at 62 while waiting to switch to survivor benefits at FRA, be aware that you must explicitly FILE FOR AND RESTRICT YOUR APPLICATION to retirement benefits only. Otherwise, SSA might automatically give you the higher of the two benefits, which could prevent you from using the strategy of switching later. This is one of those technical details that's incredibly important but often not explained clearly. When you do speak with an agent, specifically ask about the "restricted application" process for your situation.
This is so true! My friend didnt know about this restriction thing and ended up missing out on thousands of dollars because she didn't file correctly. The SSA people didn't even tell her about this option until it was too late. Always specifically ASK about all your options!
Hey just wondering did you ever get through to SSA? If you do get ahold of them can you post back what they said about your case? Im in a similar situation except I was married 12 years and I'm wondering how they calculate the amount for an ex spouse.
I haven't been able to get through yet, but I'm going to try that Claimyr service someone mentioned above. I'll definitely post back once I speak with SSA and let you know what they say about calculating ex-spouse survivor benefits. From what I understand so far, it should be the same as if you were still married when they died, as long as you met the 10-year requirement.
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one more thing - make sure ur getting the EXACT right amounts. my mom thought she was getting everything she should but my sister looked into it and found out mom was being underpaid by almost $200/month for like 3 years!!! ssa gave her backpay but only after a big fight
That's concerning! Did your mom have to provide any special documentation to prove she was being underpaid?
Just to add some clarity: When you reach FRA, you should receive a letter from SSA about your SSDI converting to retirement benefits. That's the perfect time to inquire about divorced spouse benefits. Be prepared with your marriage certificate and divorce decree. SSA should be able to look up your ex's record with his SSN, but if you don't have it, they can usually find it with his full name and date of birth. The divorced spouse benefit calculation is: 50% of your ex's PIA minus 100% of your own PIA. If the result is positive, you get that amount added to your benefit. If it's zero or negative, your benefit stays the same.
Thank you for explaining the exact calculation! I'll make sure to have my marriage certificate and divorce papers ready. I appreciate everyone's help in understanding this complex topic.
Angelina Farar
BEWARE about those survivor benefits - they don't tell you this but if you remarry before age 60 you LOSE THEM ALL!!!! My friend lost $175,000 in benefits because she remarried at 59 and they never warned her! The whole system is rigged against us.
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Leo McDonald
•You're correct that remarriage before 60 affects survivor benefits, but there's an important clarification: the beneficiary wouldn't lose ALL potential benefits, just eligibility for survivor benefits on the ex-spouse's record. If the new marriage ends (divorce or death), eligibility for the previous survivor benefits can be reinstated. Additionally, at FRA, they could still potentially claim spousal benefits on the new spouse's record if that would be higher. The rules are complex but designed to prevent collecting multiple benefits simultaneously rather than to penalize remarriage.
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Angelina Farar
•Maybe technically but try telling that to my friend who lost everything! The SSA representative literally told her "sorry, nothing we can do" and she's struggling financially now. They should WARN people about this before it happens!
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Vincent Bimbach
Update: I found the W-4V form online and filled it out. I opted for 10% withholding to start. I was nervous about mailing such an important document, so I made an appointment at my local office (earliest was 3 weeks out) to drop it off in person. Thank you everyone for your helpful advice - especially about the earnings limit. I'm going to carefully track my consulting income this year to make sure I don't go too far over the limit.
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Norah Quay
•smart choice! its so much better than dealing with quarterly payments. one less thing to worry about!
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Kelsey Chin
•Great decision! Remember you can always adjust the withholding percentage later if 10% turns out to be too much or too little. And good thinking about tracking your earnings - that'll help you avoid any surprises at year-end.
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