Thank you all for such helpful information! I've learned so much: - IRA withdrawals won't affect the earnings test (big relief) - We can use the monthly rule for my wife's first year of retirement - We should expect 85% of our SS to be taxable (not great news) - We might want to reconsider having my wife claim early We'll definitely sit down with a financial advisor to optimize our strategy. The suggestion about her waiting until FRA or even 70 is interesting - I hadn't considered the survivor benefit angle. I really appreciate everyone taking the time to share your knowledge and experiences!

Welcome to the community! I'm new here but wanted to share something that might help with your tax situation. Since you mentioned being concerned about having 85% of your SS benefits taxed with your planned income levels, you might want to look into tax-loss harvesting from any taxable investment accounts you have, or consider timing your IRA withdrawals more strategically. For example, instead of taking $60K annually from IRAs, you could take larger withdrawals in years when you have lower income (maybe due to medical expenses or other deductions) and smaller withdrawals in years when your income is already high. This could help manage which tax bracket you're in each year. Also, if you have any charitable giving plans, qualified charitable distributions (QCDs) directly from your IRA to charity after age 70.5 can count toward your required minimum distributions but won't be included in your taxable income - which could help reduce that combined income calculation for SS taxation. Just some thoughts from someone who's been researching similar strategies for my own retirement planning!

As a newcomer to this community, I'm absolutely amazed by how this thread has become such an incredible resource! Reading through everyone's journey from that initial frustrating signature box issue to the final successful submission has been both educational and inspiring. What really strikes me is how this demonstrates the importance of community support when dealing with complex government systems. The collective troubleshooting effort here - from browser compatibility solutions to the direct iClaim link, from library computer suggestions to congressional representative contacts - has created a more comprehensive guide than any official help documentation I've seen. It's honestly frustrating that in 2025, accessing benefits you've earned through decades of work requires this level of technical problem-solving, but seeing how everyone shared their knowledge and experiences gives me so much confidence about navigating these challenges myself when the time comes. Your persistence through all those technical hurdles, especially dealing with vision problems and outdated devices, is truly admirable. And congratulations on finally getting your application submitted and securing those important retroactive benefits - you definitely earned them! This thread is getting bookmarked immediately - it's going to be invaluable for anyone facing similar SSA application challenges. Thank you for sharing your experience and helping create what's essentially become the unofficial SSA troubleshooting masterclass!

As someone who just joined this community, I'm truly amazed by how this thread has transformed from one person's technical frustration into such a comprehensive resource for SSA application issues! Reading through your entire journey and all the community solutions has been incredibly valuable. What really impresses me is how your persistence paid off despite facing multiple barriers - the confusing website interface, vision challenges, and outdated technology. The fact that the "electronic signature" turned out to be just a checkbox rather than an actual signature field really highlights how poorly designed these government systems can be for users who aren't expecting such unintuitive interfaces. The collective wisdom shared here is remarkable - from browser compatibility fixes and cache clearing to the brilliant suggestions about library computers and congressional representative assistance. This thread has essentially become more useful than any official SSA help documentation! It's encouraging to see that you finally got your application submitted and secured those retroactive benefits. Your willingness to share both the struggles and solutions is going to help so many other community members who face similar challenges. Thank you for creating what's become an essential troubleshooting guide that I'm definitely bookmarking for future reference! Congratulations on successfully navigating through all those technical hurdles to claim the benefits you've rightfully earned through decades of hard work!

This has been such an educational thread! I'm 64 and was planning to work until 67, but I've been worried about how to time everything to maximize my benefits. Reading about the AERO process and seeing Olivia's real example with actual numbers ($47/month increase from replacing that 1995 income) really helps me understand what to expect. I had no idea that SSA automatically handles these recalculations - I was dreading having to navigate their phone system every year! One question for those who've been through this: do they send you any kind of notification when they're doing the recalculation, or does the adjustment just show up in your payment? I like to keep detailed records of everything for my own peace of mind.

This entire discussion has been incredibly valuable! I'm 65 and was stressing about the same timing issues. What really stands out to me is how many people were initially confused about the AERO process - I think SSA could do a much better job explaining this automatic recalculation feature when people are approaching retirement. The fact that you can start benefits at FRA and still get credit for your final working year should be prominently featured in their materials, not something people have to piece together from forums like this. Miguel, your plan sounds solid. One thing I'd add is that once you start the application process, they'll give you a detailed breakdown of your estimated benefit. That's another good checkpoint to verify everything looks correct before your benefits actually begin. Thanks to everyone who shared their real experiences - especially Olivia with those concrete numbers. It's so helpful to see actual examples rather than just theoretical explanations!

This is such a valuable thread! I'm in a similar situation and wanted to share one additional tip that helped me. When I was preparing to apply, I actually printed out the SSA Publication 05-10035 "Retirement Benefits" booklet from their website. It has a detailed section about choosing your benefit start date that I referenced multiple times during my application. The booklet clearly states that you can apply up to 4 months before you want benefits to start, and it emphasizes that your application date and benefit start date are completely separate decisions. Having this official documentation helped me feel confident when I was filling out the application online. I'd also recommend bookmarking the SSA's "When to Start Receiving Retirement Benefits" page (ssa.gov/benefits/retirement/planner/1943-delay.html) - it has calculators and examples that show exactly how much your benefit changes based on when you start. For someone like you who's calculated that $178 monthly difference, having the official SSA tools to double-check your math can be really reassuring. Your plan to apply in October for January 2025 benefits is exactly right. Just remember that consistency is key - every time the application asks about timing, stick with January 2025 as your answer!

I just wanted to add a perspective from someone who recently navigated this exact situation successfully! I turned 67 last month with an FRA of 66 and 10 months, so I went through this process just a few months ago. All the advice here is spot-on, but I wanted to emphasize one thing that really helped me: when you're on the phone with SSA (whether to verify your application or ask questions), don't be afraid to ask them to explain the timing back to you in simple terms. I said something like "Just to confirm - I'm applying today in October, but my benefits will start in January 2025 when I reach my full retirement age, not in October, correct?" The representative was very patient and walked me through exactly how it works. She even explained that the computer system has built-in safeguards to prevent accidentally starting benefits before your selected date, which gave me extra confidence. One small thing that surprised me: my confirmation letter actually arrived much faster than the 2-3 weeks others mentioned - mine came in about 10 days. So don't panic if it arrives sooner than expected, and definitely don't assume something's wrong if you get it quickly! Your methodical approach is perfect. The $178 monthly difference you mentioned is exactly why it's worth being this careful. You've got this!

As someone who's completely new to Social Security and just joined this community, I can't thank everyone enough for all the detailed explanations! I'm turning 70 in September and was having the exact same confusion as Carter about whether to apply for my birth month or the following month. Reading through all these responses has been like getting a masterclass in Social Security timing. The key insight that SSA pays for entire months (not partial months) and that your birth month is what matters regardless of the specific day really cleared up my confusion. I was initially worried about "losing" days if my birthday wasn't on the 1st, but now I understand that's not how the system works. I'm definitely going to follow the advice here and apply online for September as my benefit start month, rather than risk the phone system delays that so many have experienced. The tip about applying 3-4 months in advance is also really helpful - I'll start gathering my documents this week. This community is such an incredible resource for those of us navigating Social Security for the first time. The real-world experiences and practical advice shared here have been far more valuable than anything I've found on the official website. Thank you all for helping newcomers like me feel more confident about these important decisions!

As someone who just discovered this community while researching my own Social Security timing, I want to add my voice to thank everyone for the incredibly clear and consistent advice! I'm turning 70 in October and was having the exact same concerns as Carter about mid-month birthdays and potential benefit loss. What really struck me reading through all these responses is how the community consensus is so clear and backed by actual experiences - apply for your birth month, period. The explanation that SSA doesn't prorate benefits but pays for entire months regardless of when your birthday falls has completely eliminated my anxiety about this decision. I'm particularly grateful for the practical tips about applying online 3-4 months in advance and having documents ready. After reading about everyone's phone system nightmares, the online route seems like the obvious choice. The direct links to the SSA application that several members shared are incredibly helpful too. This community has provided more clarity in one thread than weeks of trying to parse the official SSA website. As a newcomer to both Social Security and this forum, I'm amazed at how generous everyone is with sharing their knowledge and real-world experiences. Thank you all for making this major life transition feel much more manageable!