Will Social Security spousal benefits be based on my husband's FRA amount or his age 70 benefit?

Thank you for explaining! So even though he's waiting until 70 to increase his own benefit, my spousal benefit won't increase beyond 50% of his FRA amount? That's disappointing, but helpful to know for our planning.

Oh no! That's exactly what I was worried about. Did she end up filing on her own record first and then switching to spousal later, or did she just wait and file for spousal when your father-in-law claimed?

Thank you for this clear explanation! I didn't realize I couldn't even file for spousal benefits until he files for his own. That definitely changes our planning. Is there any workaround for this, or do I just have to wait?

Unfortunately, there's no workaround for this situation. The "file and suspend" strategy that once allowed this was eliminated by Congress in 2015. Your options are: 1. File on your own record when you reach your desired age (62+) 2. Wait until your husband files at 70, then file for spousal benefits 3. Convince your husband to file earlier (though this permanently reduces his benefit) When you eventually file for spousal benefits, you'll receive the higher of either your own benefit or the spousal amount (not both).

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Yes, that's exactly what it means. One spouse must file for their own benefits before the other can receive spousal benefits based on their record. So if your husband is waiting until 70 to file, you cannot receive spousal benefits until then. However, you could file for your own benefits at 62 if you want to, and then when he files at 70, you could switch to spousal benefits if they're higher (though they would be reduced because you filed for spousal before your FRA).

Survivor benefits are completely different from spousal benefits! For survivor benefits, waiting DOES help the surviving spouse. If your husband delays claiming until 70, and then passes away, you would be eligible for his full age-70 benefit amount as a survivor benefit (subject to reductions if you claim before your FRA). This is one of the main reasons many financial advisors recommend that the higher-earning spouse delay benefits - it creates a larger survivor benefit.

Your advisor unfortunately gave you incorrect information about Social Security rules, which happens quite frequently even with otherwise good financial advisors. Social Security has very specific and sometimes counterintuitive rules. This is why it's always good to verify directly with SSA or check the specific rules on ssa.gov when making these important decisions. Consider asking your advisor where they got their information, as this is a fundamental misunderstanding of how spousal benefits work.

I didn't realize that! So I need to consider not just his filing strategy but also how my own filing age affects the eventual spousal benefit. This is getting complicated, but I appreciate everyone's help. Seems like I should probably talk directly with SSA before making any decisions.