Confused about my wife delaying SS benefits until FRA to get my full benefit amount

This is really helpful advice about the COLAs! I hadn't thought about how the annual increases would compound over time on the higher base amount. That makes the waiting strategy even more compelling. I'll definitely check out the online calculators at ssa.gov - that sounds much easier than trying to get through on the phone. Thanks for mentioning the my Social Security account option. Do you know if those calculators show the spousal benefit projections too, or just individual retirement benefits?

The my Social Security account calculators are great for individual benefit estimates, but they don't directly show spousal benefit projections. You'll see your own projected benefits at different claiming ages, but for spousal benefits you'll need to do the math yourself (50% of your spouse's PIA at your FRA). However, the calculators will show you both spouses' individual benefit amounts, so you can easily compare and figure out which spouse would benefit from spousal benefits. The online tools also let you see your complete earnings history, which is super helpful for catching any errors that might affect your benefit calculations. Definitely worth setting up those accounts for both you and your spouse!

The online calculators at ssa.gov are pretty comprehensive! When you create your my Social Security account, you can see estimates for both your own retirement benefits at different claiming ages AND spousal benefits if you're married. It will show you what you'd get as a spousal benefit based on your spouse's earnings record. Just make sure both you and your husband have accounts set up so you can see both sides of the equation. The calculator even lets you input different scenarios - like what if you claim at 62 vs 67, or what the spousal benefit would be at various ages. It's really helpful for planning and much more reliable than trying to do the math yourself or waiting hours on the phone with SSA!

The online calculators at ssa.gov will show your individual retirement benefit estimates, but they don't directly calculate spousal benefits in the same tool. However, once you know your spouse's Primary Insurance Amount (PIA) from their calculator, you can easily figure out the spousal benefit - it's just 50% of their PIA at your FRA. The my Social Security account is definitely worth setting up though. You can see your complete earnings history, get benefit estimates at different claiming ages, and even apply for benefits online when you're ready. It's much more convenient than the phone system, and you can access it 24/7. Just make sure to verify your earnings record is accurate - any errors could affect your benefit calculations.

The online my Social Security calculators do show spousal benefit estimates! When you create your account, you can run scenarios for both your own retirement benefits and spousal benefits. Just make sure you have Omar's earnings record information handy since the spousal benefit calculation depends on his work history. The calculator will show you side-by-side comparisons of what you'd get claiming at different ages - really helpful for visualizing the long-term impact of waiting. One tip: the calculator assumes you'll live to average life expectancy, but you can adjust those assumptions if you have reason to believe you'll live longer or shorter than average based on health and family history.

The my Social Security account calculators are great for your own retirement benefit estimates, but they don't show spousal benefit scenarios directly. You can see your estimated benefits at different claiming ages, but for spousal benefits you'll need to do some manual calculations. The good news is it's pretty straightforward - just take 50% of your spouse's Primary Insurance Amount (PIA) for the full spousal benefit at FRA. The calculators will show you both of your PIAs, so you can easily compare her own benefit vs. 50% of her spouse's. For more complex scenarios involving survivor benefits or family maximum calculations, you might still need to call SSA or use third-party Social Security optimization software. But for basic spousal benefit planning, the SSA calculators plus the knowledge shared in this thread should give you what you need!

The online calculators at ssa.gov will show your individual retirement benefit projections, but they don't directly calculate spousal benefits in the same detail. However, once you know your spouse's Primary Insurance Amount (PIA) from their calculator, you can easily figure out the spousal benefit - it's just 50% of that PIA at your FRA. The calculators are great for running "what if" scenarios at different claiming ages for your own benefit. For the most accurate spousal benefit calculations, you might still need to call SSA or visit a local office, but at least you'll have your own benefit estimates figured out first. Also, make sure both you and your spouse create accounts so you can see both of your benefit histories and projections side by side!

The online calculators will show your individual retirement benefit projections, but they don't directly calculate spousal benefits in the same tool. However, once you know your spouse's Primary Insurance Amount (PIA) from their account, you can easily calculate the spousal benefit - it's just 50% of their PIA at your FRA. What's really useful is that you can run "what if" scenarios for different claiming ages and see how your own benefit changes. Then you can compare your own benefit amount to 50% of your spouse's PIA to see which would be higher. The key thing to remember is that you'll automatically get the higher of the two - your own benefit or the spousal benefit - so the calculators help you figure out which scenario gives you the most money overall.

The online calculators at ssa.gov are great for individual benefit estimates, but they don't show spousal benefit projections directly. You'll need to do some manual calculations based on what you find there. When you log into your my Social Security account, you can see your projected benefits at different claiming ages (62, FRA, 70, etc.). For spousal benefits, you'd need to know your spouse's Primary Insurance Amount (PIA) and calculate 50% of that amount yourself. The calculators will show you both your own benefit estimate and your spouse's, so you can compare which would be higher - your own benefit or 50% of theirs. One tip: make sure both you and your spouse create accounts so you can see both benefit histories and projections. This makes it much easier to run different scenarios and see the complete picture for your household planning!

The online calculators at ssa.gov do show spousal benefit estimates! When you create your my Social Security account, you can use the Retirement Estimator which includes spousal benefit projections. It will show you what your spousal benefit would be at different ages (62, FRA, etc.) based on your spouse's earnings record. Just make sure you have your spouse's Social Security number handy when using the calculator, as you'll need it to get the spousal benefit estimates. The calculator is really user-friendly and will show you side-by-side comparisons of taking benefits at different ages, including the impact of COLAs over time. It's definitely worth spending some time playing around with different scenarios before making your final decision!

The online calculators on ssa.gov are pretty comprehensive! When you create your my Social Security account, you can see estimates for both your own retirement benefits and spousal benefits. The system will show you what your spousal benefit would be at different claiming ages, including the reduction factors if you claim early. It's really user-friendly and will save you hours of phone time. Just make sure you have your Social Security number and some personal verification info ready when you set up the account. The calculators will pull your actual earnings history, so the projections should be very accurate for your specific situation.

The my Social Security account calculators do show spousal benefit estimates! When you create your account and go to the "Retirement Estimator" section, there's actually a tab for "Family" benefits that will show spousal benefit projections based on your spouse's earnings record. It's really handy because you can adjust the claiming ages and see how the spousal benefit changes. Just make sure both you and your husband create accounts so you can see estimates from both perspectives. The calculator will show her own benefit at different ages AND what she could get as a spousal benefit at different ages, so you can easily compare the two options. One tip - when you're looking at the spousal benefit estimates, remember they assume your husband claimed at his FRA, so if he claimed early like Omar did, the actual spousal benefit calculation uses his PIA (what he would have gotten at FRA), not his reduced amount.

Yes, the my Social Security calculators do show spousal benefit estimates! When you create your account and go to the "Estimate Your Retirement Benefits" section, there's an option to include spouse information. It will show you projections for both your own benefit and potential spousal benefits at different claiming ages. The calculator is pretty comprehensive - it factors in your earnings history and gives you month-by-month breakdowns of what you'd receive if you claim at different ages. Just make sure you have your wife create her own account too so you can compare her individual benefit projections with the spousal benefit amounts. The online tools have gotten much better over the years and can save you hours of phone time!

The ssa.gov calculators are great for individual benefit estimates, but they don't show spousal benefit projections directly. You'll see your own estimated benefits at different claiming ages, but for spousal benefits you'll need to do the math manually (50% of spouse's PIA at your FRA). However, the calculators will show you both spouses' PIA amounts, which is what you need for the spousal benefit calculation. Pro tip: when you create your my Social Security account, you can also view your complete earnings history to make sure SSA has all your wages recorded correctly - errors there can significantly impact your benefit calculations!

The online calculators on ssa.gov will show your individual retirement benefit estimates, but they don't calculate spousal benefits directly. However, you can still use them effectively! Once you see your own projected benefit amount, you can manually calculate the spousal benefit by taking 50% of your spouse's Primary Insurance Amount (PIA). The calculators will show you what your spouse's PIA is at their full retirement age. So while it requires an extra step, you can definitely figure out both scenarios - your own benefit vs. the spousal benefit - and compare them. The my Social Security account also lets you see your complete earnings history, which helps verify the accuracy of the projections. Just remember that if you're eligible for both your own retirement benefit and a spousal benefit, you'll automatically receive whichever is higher when you file.

The online calculators at ssa.gov do show spousal benefit estimates! When you create your my Social Security account, you can use the Retirement Estimator which includes spousal benefit projections based on your spouse's earnings record. It's really user-friendly and lets you play around with different claiming ages to see how it affects both your own benefits and potential spousal benefits. Just make sure you have both of your Social Security numbers handy when you set it up, since it will need to verify both records to give you accurate spousal benefit estimates. Way better than sitting on hold for hours!

The online calculators at ssa.gov are great for individual retirement benefit projections, but they're limited when it comes to spousal benefits. You can see your estimated retirement benefit at different claiming ages, but for spousal benefit calculations, you'll likely need to do the math manually or speak with an SSA representative. The calculators will show your husband's PIA (Primary Insurance Amount), and then you can calculate 50% of that for your spousal benefit at FRA. Just remember that if your own retirement benefit is higher than 50% of his PIA, you'll get your own benefit instead. The my Social Security account is definitely worth setting up though - it gives you access to your complete earnings history and benefit estimates, which is super helpful for planning!

The ssa.gov calculators are great for individual benefit estimates, but they don't show spousal benefit scenarios directly. You'll see your own projected benefits at different claiming ages, but for spousal benefits you'll need to do the math yourself (50% of spouse's PIA) or call SSA. However, the calculators will show you both spouses' individual benefit amounts, so you can easily compare and see which scenario gives the higher payout. The online tools are definitely worth using first before dealing with phone wait times!