Social Security filing decision at 64 with cancer history - tools to determine best timing?
I hit 64 last month and still can't make up my mind about when to claim SS benefits. My health situation is making me lean toward filing sooner rather than later - I've battled cancer twice in the past decade (thankfully in remission now). But I keep going back and forth on the math. Would I be leaving too much money on the table by not waiting until FRA or even 70? With my health history, I'm just not sure if waiting makes sense. What calculators or resources did you all use to figure this out? I've looked at the SSA website but it's pretty basic. Are there better tools that factor in health considerations? Thanks for any advice!
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Natalie Khan
I was in a similar boat (different health issues though). I found the calculator at opensocialsecurity.com incredibly helpful. It lets you adjust life expectancy assumptions which sounds relevant to your situation. Unlike the basic SSA calculator, it shows you the optimal filing age based on your personal situation and expected longevity. Given your health history, filing at 64 might actually be mathematically optimal, not just emotionally comforting.
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Rudy Cenizo
•Thanks, I hadn't heard of that one! Going to check it out this afternoon. Did it give you a clear recommendation or just general guidance?
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Daryl Bright
my wife had breast cancer twice and we decided to take benefits early. no regrets! SSA dont give u extra $ for having health problems so u gotta make your own choice. we figured bird in hand worth 2 in bush.
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Sienna Gomez
•I'm sorry about your wife's health challenges, but this doesn't tell the whole story. Depending on lifetime earnings and other factors, taking benefits early can mean substantially less money over time. While I respect your decision, the OP should run actual calculations rather than relying on the "bird in hand" philosophy. Social Security isn't about getting back what you put in - it's insurance against outliving your assets.
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Kirsuktow DarkBlade
I recommend analyzing this from multiple angles. Here are resources I found useful: 1. Social Security's detailed calculator (not the quick one): https://www.ssa.gov/OACT/anypia/anypia.html 2. MaximizeMySocialSecurity.com ($40 but worth it) 3. SSAnalyze! by Reichenstein Given your health history, you're right to consider filing earlier. The classic break-even point between filing at 62 vs. FRA is around age 78-80. For FRA vs. 70, it's approximately 82-84. These tools will help you calculate your specific numbers. Another consideration: if you're married, your filing decision impacts potential survivor benefits for your spouse. If your benefit is higher than your spouse's, waiting might still make sense even with health concerns, as your spouse would receive your higher benefit amount after your passing.
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Rudy Cenizo
•Thanks for these detailed suggestions! I am married, and my benefit would be higher than my wife's. I hadn't thought about how this might affect her survivor benefits - that's definitely something to factor in. I'll check out those calculators.
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Abigail bergen
Does anyone know if there's a way to factor in Medicare costs to these calculations? I'm still working with employer insurance, but I'm wondering if claiming SS earlier impacts Medicare enrollment or premiums later? Sorry if this is a tangent from the original question.
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Kirsuktow DarkBlade
•Good question! Filing for Social Security doesn't automatically enroll you in Medicare. You'll need to enroll in Medicare separately during your Initial Enrollment Period (starts 3 months before your 65th birthday). As for costs, your Medicare premium is affected by your income (called IRMAA - Income-Related Monthly Adjustment Amount), but the timing of your SS filing doesn't directly impact Medicare costs. However, if working longer means higher income, that could temporarily increase your Medicare premiums.
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Ahooker-Equator
Im sorry about your health struggles. My mom had cancer too and took SS at 62. She lived to 92! No one can predict the future. Just make the best decision with what u know today.
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Sienna Gomez
Having spent hours on the phone with SSA trying to get information about this exact scenario last year, I finally found a service called Claimyr that got me through to a live Social Security agent in under 10 minutes. I was able to discuss my specific health considerations and how they might factor into my claiming decision. The agent walked me through several scenarios and answered questions specific to my situation that no online calculator could. Check out their video demo at https://youtu.be/Z-BRbJw3puU or visit claimyr.com - it saved me hours of frustration when I needed personalized guidance.
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Rudy Cenizo
•That's interesting - I've been trying to get through to SSA for weeks without success. Did they give you specific advice about health considerations or just general information?
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Sienna Gomez
•They weren't allowed to explicitly tell me "file now" due to your health, but the agent discussed how different life expectancy scenarios would affect my lifetime benefits. She explained which forms to file and walked through the break-even calculations. Having that conversation made my decision much clearer than just using online tools.
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Anderson Prospero
DONT TRUST THE GOVERNMENT CALCULATORS!!! They are DESIGNED to get you to wait to file so they can keep YOUR MONEY LONGER!!! I waited until 67 and now I regret it because I've had health problems and could have enjoyed that money sooner!!!!
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Natalie Khan
•That's not accurate. The government calculators are actuarially neutral. The system isn't designed to benefit from people delaying - in fact, the delayed retirement credits are calculated to be approximately fair across average lifespans. Your personal situation might make you regret waiting, but that doesn't mean the system was designed to trick you.
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Natalie Khan
One suggestion I haven't seen mentioned: consider your current tax situation. If you're still working, taking SS now might push you into a higher tax bracket, and up to 85% of your SS benefits could be taxable. If you can wait until you stop working, you might pay significantly less tax on those benefits. The calculators I mentioned earlier should factor this in.
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Rudy Cenizo
•That's a really good point. I am still working part-time, about 25 hours a week. I'll need to look at how my income affects the taxation of benefits - thanks for bringing this up!
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Daryl Bright
i changed my mind like 10 times before filing lol. in the end i just went with my gut feeling. sometimes u can overthink these things ya know?
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Kirsuktow DarkBlade
•While intuition has its place, Social Security claiming is one area where running the numbers is really important. A decision made at 64 can have hundreds of thousands of dollars of lifetime impact. It's worth spending time with the right tools to make an informed choice, especially with health considerations in the mix.
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Ravi Choudhury
I'm really sorry to hear about your cancer battles, and I'm glad you're in remission now. Your health history definitely adds complexity to this decision. One thing that might help is to think about this in terms of "insurance" rather than just maximizing dollars. If you file now at 64, you're essentially buying peace of mind and guaranteed income for however long you live. The break-even calculations assume average lifespans, but your situation is unique. Have you considered doing a "what-if" analysis? Calculate how much you'd receive monthly if you file now versus waiting, then multiply by different time horizons (5 years, 10 years, 15 years) to see the total payout under each scenario. This might give you a clearer picture of the financial trade-offs. Also, don't forget about the non-financial benefits of filing earlier - less stress about future health issues, ability to enjoy the money while you're feeling well, and flexibility to make other life decisions without worrying about optimizing SS timing. Whatever you decide, make sure it's a decision you can live with comfortably. The "perfect" mathematical choice doesn't matter if it keeps you up at night worrying.
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