I just completed my Social Security retirement application last week and was in the exact same situation! I had three marriages/divorces between the 1970s and 1990s and could barely remember which years they happened, let alone exact dates. After stressing about it for weeks, I finally called the SSA directly and the representative told me something really important: for your OWN retirement benefits, they mainly need marriage/divorce info to verify your legal name history and identify potential auxiliary beneficiaries. They don't expect perfect recall from decades ago. I submitted my application using approximate language like "divorced approximately spring 1987 - records from 35+ years ago not available" and included brief notes explaining why I couldn't provide exact dates. My application was approved in about 6 weeks with no requests for additional documentation whatsoever. The key is being honest about what you remember versus what you're estimating. Don't let the fear of imperfect information delay your benefits when you're turning 66 next month! The SSA processes thousands of applications with approximate historical dates - they understand that life events from 30-40 years ago aren't always perfectly documented. Submit with your best estimates and explanatory notes, and deal with any follow-up requests IF they come (which they probably won't).

I'm currently dealing with this exact same issue! I have two divorces from the early 1990s and have been putting off my application for weeks because I thought I needed certified copies of everything before I could even submit. This thread has been incredibly helpful - it's such a relief to learn that approximate dates with explanatory notes are acceptable for your own retirement benefits! The SSA website really does make everything sound mandatory and scary when the reality seems much more reasonable. Based on everyone's experiences here, I'm going to submit my application this week using language like "divorced approximately fall 1993 - exact date unavailable after 30+ years" and include brief notes explaining why precise information isn't accessible. It sounds like SSA understands that people don't keep perfect records from decades ago and processes these situations routinely. Thank you to everyone who shared their real experiences - knowing that so many people successfully submitted with estimates and got approved without documentation requests gives me the confidence to stop overthinking this and finally get my application in!

I'm so sorry for your loss, Zoe. Reading through this thread has been incredibly helpful as someone who will likely face this same situation in a few years. The consistency of advice about applying 3 months before turning 60 is really reassuring, and I'm amazed by all the practical details everyone has shared. One thing I wanted to add that might be useful - my sister went through this process recently and mentioned that SSA also asked about any VA disability benefits her late husband was receiving. Even though VA benefits don't affect Social Security survivor benefits, they still wanted to know about them for their records. So if your husband was a veteran receiving any VA benefits, you might want to have that information handy too. Also, she found it helpful to write down a timeline of her husband's work history before the call, including approximate dates and employers, since they asked detailed questions about his employment. Thank you for starting this conversation - it's clearly helping so many people prepare for this important process!

I'm so sorry for your loss, Zoe. This entire thread has been incredibly valuable - I'm facing a similar situation as I'll be turning 60 in early 2026. The consistent advice about applying 3 months before your 60th birthday has really helped clarify the timing for me. I wanted to add one more tip that helped me when I was gathering documents for other government benefits: create a simple spreadsheet or checklist with all the required documents and check them off as you collect them. This way you can see at a glance what you still need to gather. Also, I learned from dealing with other federal agencies that it's worth calling your local SSA office directly (not just the national number) to ask about their current processing times. Sometimes local offices can give you more specific timelines based on their current workload. The national average might be 6-8 weeks, but your local office might be faster or slower. Thank you to everyone who has shared their experiences - this community support makes such a difficult process feel much more manageable!

I work in IT and see this kind of issue a lot with government sites. One thing that might help is checking if JavaScript is enabled in your browser - some SSA forms won't submit properly without it. Also, if you're using a VPN, try disconnecting it temporarily as government sites sometimes block VPN traffic. Another trick is to fill out the form completely but don't submit it right away - let it sit for a minute or two, then try submitting. Sometimes the session needs time to fully establish. Good luck!

I've been dealing with this same frustrating issue for weeks! What finally worked for me was a combination of things: I cleared my browser cache, disabled my ad blocker, and then tried during off-peak hours (around 6 AM). It took three attempts but eventually went through. One thing I noticed is that if you get the error message, don't immediately try again - wait at least 10-15 minutes between attempts or it seems to make the problem worse. Also, make sure you're using a supported browser (Chrome or Edge worked best for me). If you're still having trouble after trying all the tech fixes people have suggested, I'd recommend calling the SSA helpline at 1-800-772-1213. Yes, the wait times can be brutal, but at least you'll get a human who can help process your application over the phone. Hang in there - you'll get through eventually!

Thanks everyone for the helpful responses! To summarize what I've learned: 1. Only the payments I physically receive in 2024 count for 2024 taxes 2. The December payment that arrives in January 2025 will count for 2025 taxes 3. I should wait for my SSA-1099 form in late January/early February for the official numbers 4. The 1099 will show the gross amount before any Medicare deductions 5. I might want to consider tax withholding from my SS payments going forward This helps tremendously with my year-end planning!

You've got a great summary there! Just one additional tip since you mentioned year-end planning - if you have other retirement account withdrawals planned for 2024 (like from a 401k or traditional IRA), you might want to calculate whether those combined with your Social Security benefits will push you into a higher tax bracket or increase the taxable portion of your SS benefits. Sometimes it's worth spreading those withdrawals across tax years to minimize the overall tax impact. Good luck with your planning!

Having read through all these excellent responses, I want to add one more consideration that could be crucial for your situation. Since you're getting $160k over 5 years, you'll want to be very careful about the "substantial services" rule that applies to installment sales of businesses. If the SSA determines that you're providing substantial services to earn those installment payments (rather than just receiving payment for assets already sold), they can treat the entire payment stream as self-employment income subject to SE tax and earnings limits - even if the initial sale was properly structured as capital gains. The key is ensuring your installment agreement clearly states that payments are for assets already transferred, not for future services. Any ongoing relationship should be minimal and well-documented as "asset transfer completion" rather than business services. Given the complexity everyone has outlined here, I'd strongly recommend getting a determination letter from SSA BEFORE finalizing your sale. You can submit a detailed description of your proposed transaction and ask for a written determination of how they'll treat it. This takes time (several months typically) but could save you from nasty surprises later. Also consider that if you delay SS until 67 and live off the business proceeds, you'll not only avoid the earnings test but also qualify for delayed retirement credits. At $32k annually from the sale, this might actually maximize your lifetime benefits significantly.

I've been reading through all this fantastic advice, and I wanted to add something from my experience helping my dad with a similar situation last year. One thing that really caught my attention is the discussion about timing and delayed retirement credits. Given that you have $160k coming in over 5 years ($32k annually), you might actually be in an ideal position to optimize your lifetime Social Security benefits. Here's a strategy worth considering: 1. Delay Social Security until age 70 (not just 67) to maximize delayed retirement credits - that's an 8% increase for each year from 67-70, totaling 24% higher monthly benefits for life 2. Use the business sale proceeds to cover living expenses from 63-70 3. This approach eliminates ALL earnings test concerns and could result in significantly higher lifetime benefits The math works out especially well if you have longevity in your family. At $32k per year from the sale, you'd have enough to live on (potentially supplemented with some part-time work that keeps you under earnings limits if needed). I'd also strongly echo the advice about getting that SSA determination letter before finalizing anything. My dad's attorney was able to get one, and while it took about 4 months, it prevented any nasty surprises down the road. Don't let the buyer pressure you into a timeline that doesn't work for YOUR retirement optimization!