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My friend heard this too and panicked for nothing!! The whole system is BROKEN but at least they haven't messed with the FRA earnings rule YET. But watch out - they're always looking for ways to take away our benefits that WE PAID FOR all these years!!!! The real issue isn't people working after retirement - it's the government STEALING from the trust fund for decades!!!!
i dont think that's totally accurate about the government stealing from the trust fund they borrow from it but with treasury bonds that pay interest but your right that they need to fix things
Thank you everyone for your helpful responses! You've really put my mind at ease. I'll go ahead with my plans to start that new job next month when I hit 67. I appreciate all the clarification about the difference between benefit reductions (which won't happen) and potential tax implications (which I'm preparing for). And thanks for confirming this isn't changing anytime soon!
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OMG I've been trying to figure out this exact same thing!!! I'm 66 and so confused about when to take my SS. My husband wants me to wait but I don't think he understands that we might not live long enough for it to matter? Both my parents died at 78 so I'm really worried about waiting too long. Did any of those calculators people mentioned actually help you make a decision yet???
One consideration for married couples is that the lower-earning spouse will inherit the higher-earning spouse's benefit amount when they pass away. So if your husband's benefit is significantly higher than yours, it might make more sense for him to delay (to maximize what you'd get as a survivor) and for you to claim earlier. This is called a "split strategy" and it can be very effective.
Thank you everyone for the helpful advice! I checked out the Open Social Security calculator and it was really enlightening. Based on my family history and current financial needs, I've decided to go ahead and claim my benefits now at FRA. Having that steady $2,750 coming in monthly will ease my immediate financial concerns and let me leave my investments alone during this volatile market. If I end up being the family outlier who lives past 85, I might slightly regret this decision, but the peace of mind now seems worth it. Really appreciate all the perspectives here - gave me a lot to think about beyond just the basic break-even calculation!
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my condolences to ur mom. i went thru something similar when my husband passed in 2020. I was already 79 at that time and had no problems getting survivors benefits. they actually automatically switched me over when they processed the death certificate. maybe there's something unusual about your mom's situation? did she get any kind of special civil service pension or railroad benefits? those can complicate things with the WEP/GPO rules. or maybe your stepdad had been married before and there's an ex-spouse claiming on his record?
Ex-spouses don't affect current spouse survivor benefits at all - both can receive full benefits without reduction. And even with WEP/GPO, she'd still be eligible for survivor benefits, just potentially reduced. The agent simply gave incorrect information. This happens far too often with SSA representatives who aren't properly trained on all the rules.
Update: I want to thank everyone for the advice. We called SSA again this morning (took almost 2 hours to get through!) and spoke with a different agent who confirmed mom IS eligible for survivor benefits. They're processing the change now and said she'll receive her husband's higher benefit amount going forward plus 12 months retroactive benefits. The agent couldn't explain why she was given incorrect information before, but we're just relieved it's being fixed now. We're also scheduling an in-person appointment to make sure everything is processed correctly. Thanks again for all your help - this will make such a difference for her financially!
Excellent news! I'm very glad to hear this is being resolved. That retroactive payment should be substantial and will help make up for some of the lost time. Make sure at the in-person appointment they verify that the benefit amount is correct - she should receive 100% of what your stepfather was receiving, not a reduced amount. Congratulations on getting this fixed.
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Social security is so confusing! I thought retirement age was 65 but now its like 67 for most people? the whole system needs to be simplified
You're right that it can be confusing. Full Retirement Age (FRA) varies based on your birth year. For those born in 1960 or later, FRA is 67. For those born between 1943 and 1954, it's 66. And for those born between 1955 and 1959, it increases gradually from 66 and 2 months to 66 and 10 months. The original 65 age hasn't applied to anyone retiring in quite some time.
One more thing I forgot to mention - if you DO get an overpayment notice (I HOPE YOU DON'T!), immediately file for a waiver! Even if you know you might have gone over slightly. The waiver process buys you time to gather MORE evidence about your work activity. When I dealt with this, I eventually had to PHYSICALLY GO to the local office with printouts of EVERYTHING - invoices, bank statements with deposits highlighted, my work calendar. The system is SO BROKEN for self-employed people!!!
That's a great tip about requesting a waiver - I wouldn't have thought of that. I'm taking detailed notes on everything you and others have suggested. I really hope to avoid that scenario, but it's good to be prepared just in case.
Eloise Kendrick
One more thing to consider - if 2025 is your first year receiving benefits, you can use the monthly earnings test rather than the annual one. This special rule is designed for mid-year retirees. So you could start your benefits in November (when you stop working), and SS would only look at your monthly earnings from November and December, not your total 2025 earnings. This is what I did and it worked out perfectly - I got my full benefit amount for the months after I stopped working, even though I'd earned well over the annual limit already.
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JaylinCharles
•That sounds like exactly what I need to do. I'll wait until November to apply since I'm stopping work at the end of October. Thanks so much for explaining this clearly!
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Lucas Schmidt
Did anyone mention that all this is TEMPORARY??? Once you hit full retirement age (66+), the earnings test GOES AWAY COMPLETELY. You can earn a million dollars and still get your full SS. The whole earnings limit thing only applies if you claim before your FRA.
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Charlee Coleman
•Yes, but OP is turning 62 and wants to claim now, so they're 4-5 years away from FRA. The earnings test is very relevant to their situation right now.
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