Should I delay taking SS retirement at FRA until December for higher benefits while on survivor benefits?

Yes, waiting that extra month absolutely makes sense financially! You'd get an additional $113/month for the rest of your life just by delaying one month. That's a 4% increase for very little waiting time. Since you have savings to cover expenses, this is a no-brainer. The breakeven point is less than a year for that one-month delay.

Are you SURE about those numbers??? Something doesn't add up. The increase from FRA to one month later should only be like 2/3 of a percent or something. Getting $113 more in ONE MONTH seems WAY too high! I'd double-check that estimate sheet or call SSA directly because that just DOESN'T SOUND RIGHT to me. The SS system is NOTORIOUS for mistakes!

Based on your situation, I'd recommend waiting until December 2025. Since you have adequate savings and a 401(k), you can easily bridge that one-month gap. The lifetime value of that extra $113/month is substantial - if you live 20 more years, that's an additional $27,120 in benefits. One strategic point to consider: make sure you formally apply for your retirement benefits about 3 months before you want them to begin. For December benefits, apply in September 2025. Also, be aware that your survivor benefits will automatically terminate when you switch to your own retirement benefits.

wait so can u get both survivor and ur own benefits at same time?? im confused

When I was in a similar situation last year, I spent WEEKS trying to get through to Social Security to verify my numbers and confirm the best strategy. Kept getting busy signals or disconnected after waiting forever. Finally used a service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that got me through to an actual person at SSA in under 20 minutes. There's a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/Z-BRbJw3puU. Totally worth it to get confirmation directly from SSA about the exact benefit amounts before making such an important financial decision. The agent I spoke with actually found an error in my estimate that would have cost me thousands over time.

My situation was sort of similar to yours. I was getting widow's benefits and waited 4 months past my FRA to switch to my own. Best decision ever! That extra bit each month has really added up. The way I figured it, I'm getting that higher amount for the rest of my life, so even a small increase was worth waiting for. Just make sure your savings can handle the extra month without stress.

Have you considered if this might push you into a higher tax bracket? That happened to my uncle when he switched from survivor to retirement benefits. The extra income pushed him just over a threshold and he ended up paying more in taxes than he expected. Just something to think about.

congrats on having a good 401k! thats amazing these days

One additional factor to consider: If you wait until December 2025, you'll also be positioned better for any Cost of Living Adjustment (COLA) that takes effect in January 2026. The COLA will apply to your higher base amount, further increasing the long-term advantage of waiting that extra month. With inflation patterns the way they've been, even a modest 2-3% COLA would add meaningful additional benefits over time.