Im confused about something.. if the GPO reduced your spousal benefit to $0 before, why would it change now? Did your non-covered pension amount go down or something??? This whole GPO thing is SO UNFAIR to those of us who worked in public service!

my cousin works for ssa and says their computer system does weird stuff all the time with no explanation. could just be a glitch honestly. best to just go to office in person and make them look it up while ur sitting there. thats the only way to really get answers with these people

If you need to handle a name change AND apply for benefits, here's what worked for me recently: 1. First, I made an in-person appointment specifically for the name change document verification (called my local office directly) 2. During that appointment, had them scan all my marriage certificate and ID documents 3. Then scheduled the phone appointment for the actual benefit application 4. When they called for the benefit application, everything went smoothly since my documents were already in the system The key is separating the identity verification from the benefit application. Hope this helps!

dont waste ur time w/ phone appointments!!! JUST APPLY ONLINE!!! its soooo much easier, i did mine last month took 25 mins tops. but make sure u have ur bank info ready they need direct deposit now

wait i thought SS only counted 30 years not 35??

Thanks everyone for the helpful information! Based on your responses, I'm going to download my earnings history and check my lowest-earning years in the top 35. Even though I've had 30+ years at max contribution, I definitely had some lower-earning years in my 20s that might get replaced. Seems like it's worth analyzing before I make my decision about continuing to work.

One factor that hasn't been mentioned yet is that claiming early could affect your Medicare Part B and D premiums later through IRMAA (Income-Related Monthly Adjustment Amount). Since you plan to invest the SS money, the investment income could push your Medicare premiums higher when you enroll at 65. Also, don't forget to check if the Government Pension Offset (GPO) might affect you in the future if you were to marry. GPO can reduce or eliminate spousal/survivor benefits if you receive a pension from non-covered work. With your state pension, part-time work, and investments, I suspect the smart play is to delay SS as long as possible to maximize the benefit when you do take it. The 8% guaranteed increase per year from FRA to 70 is essentially free money with no risk.

my neighbor took ss at 62 and regrets it EVERY DAY!! says its the biggest financial mistake he ever made. hes 78 now and always complaining about how much more hed be getting if hed just waited!!

just wondering - did your sister ever work enough to qualify for Medicare on her own record? if shes getting SS benefits i assume yes but just checking cause thats important at her age too

After thinking about this more, I want to clarify something important: When your sister's husband eventually DOES file for benefits (whether now or later), she will automatically be eligible for the spousal benefit if it would increase her total benefit amount. The benefit calculation is: She gets her own benefit first, then an additional amount if the spousal benefit (up to 50% of her husband's PIA) would be higher. The early filing reduction from her claiming at 62 will affect the spousal amount, but she'd still likely see some increase. Also worth noting - if her husband passes away before her, she would be eligible for 100% of his benefit amount as a widow (assuming it's higher than her own). This survivor benefit can actually be a major factor in deciding when he should claim.