Will remarriage at age 66 affect my SS retirement benefits after 4 years divorced?
I started collecting my Social Security retirement benefits in December 2023 when I turned 65. I've been divorced for 4 years now and was single throughout that time. Recently, I met someone special and we're planning to get married next year (2025). We'll have a prenuptial agreement in place, but I'm concerned about how this marriage might affect my Social Security benefits. Does remarriage at my age (I'll be 66 next year) change anything about my current benefits? I've heard conflicting things from friends about this. Some say my benefits won't change at all since I'm collecting on my own record, others say any marriage affects benefits no matter your age. Can anyone clarify this situation?
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Oliver Zimmermann
Good news! If you're already collecting retirement benefits based on your OWN work record, remarriage has no impact whatsoever on those benefits. They'll continue exactly as they were before. The rules about marriage mainly affect people collecting certain types of SURVIVOR benefits or SPOUSAL benefits from an ex-spouse (which require you to remain unmarried in some cases). Since you started collecting at 65 in 2023, I assume these are your own earned benefits, so you're good to go! The prenup is a good idea for other financial matters, but it doesn't affect Social Security either way.
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Amina Toure
•That's such a relief! Yes, I'm collecting based on my own work record - I worked for over 35 years. Thank you for clearing this up. My fiancé is also collecting his own benefits, so we should both be fine then?
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Natasha Volkova
my sister got married at 68 and nothing changed with her ss check. youll be fine!
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Amina Toure
•Thanks for sharing that! It helps to hear real examples from other people's families.
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Javier Torres
Congrats on finding love again! I'm in a similar boat but I'm collecting ex-spousal benefits. Different rules apply to me, but sounds like you'll be just fine since you're on your own record. Wishing you happiness in your new chapter!
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Emma Davis
•Actually this is a common misconception - the rules aren't identical for everyone. If OP was collecting on an ex-spouse's record, remarriage WOULD affect benefits unless she's over 60 and collecting survivor benefits specifically. And even with her own benefits, there are potential implications for future survivor benefits if her new spouse passes away. The Social Security system is INSANELY complicated!
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CosmicCaptain
Hold up - are you CERTAIN you're collecting on your own record and not on your ex's? Because it makes a HUGE difference! If you're getting benefits from the ex and remarry, you LOSE THEM COMPLETELY! The SSA doesn't just automatically notify you of the best option. When I got divorced, they put me on my ex's record because it was higher without even telling me!
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Oliver Zimmermann
•This is a good point - it's always smart to verify. You can check this by looking at your benefit verification letter or calling SSA. But typically, if you qualify for both your own retirement and an ex-spouse benefit, SSA pays your own benefit first, and then adds a supplemental amount if the ex-spouse benefit would be higher. At 65 with a significant work history, it's likely you're receiving your own benefits.
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Malik Johnson
I went through something very similar last year. To give you peace of mind, I'd recommend calling Social Security directly to confirm everything is set properly. I tried for days to get through but kept getting disconnected or faced 2+ hour wait times. Finally, I used a service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that got me connected to an agent in about 20 minutes. There's a video showing how it works here: https://youtu.be/Z-BRbJw3puU Once I got through, the agent confirmed my retirement benefits were based on my record and wouldn't change after marriage. Worth the call just to have it documented that you asked, in case anything ever comes up later.
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Amina Toure
•That's a good suggestion. I've tried calling SSA twice already and got disconnected both times. I'll check out that service to get a definitive answer straight from them.
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Isabella Ferreira
CONGRATS on the engagement!!! Marriage is wonderful at ANY age! My aunt and uncle got married in their 70s and its been amazing for them. As for SS, yours wont change, but make sure to update your address with SSA if your moving in together. Thats a whole other headache lol
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Amina Toure
•Thank you! Yes, we'll be living at his house so I definitely need to remember to update my address. Appreciate the reminder!
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Emma Davis
One thing nobody's mentioned - while your current benefits won't change, your new marriage DOES affect potential survivor benefits in the future. If your new spouse has higher benefits than you and passes away after you've been married at least 9 months, you could be eligible for higher survivor benefits. Something to discuss with your financial planner as part of your overall retirement strategy. Also, congratulations on your engagement!
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Amina Toure
•That's interesting! I hadn't even thought about future survivor benefits. My fiancé's SS check is about $600 more per month than mine, so that could be significant someday (though obviously not something we want to think about). Thank you for the additional information.
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CosmicCaptain
Has anybody mentioned Medicare yet??? Because if either of you has better Medicare coverage thru a former employer that could be affected by marriage!!! The whole system is RIGGED against senior remarriage if you ask me!!!
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Oliver Zimmermann
•Medicare eligibility itself isn't affected by marriage, but if either person has supplemental coverage through a former employer, it's worth checking with that plan administrator. Some employer plans have specific provisions about covering new spouses. This isn't a Social Security issue directly, but definitely part of overall retirement planning.
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Javier Torres
Just wondering - will you be changing your name when you get married? If so, don't forget to update your Social Security card first, then driver's license, bank accounts, etc. I made the mistake of doing them in the wrong order and it was a nightmare!
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Amina Toure
•I'm planning to keep my current last name - seems easier at this stage of life! But that's a great tip about the correct order for those who do change their names.
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