As a newcomer to this community, I want to express my gratitude for this incredibly thorough and reassuring discussion! I'm 62 and have been wrestling with this exact question about post-60 earnings and Social Security for weeks now. Like so many others here, I completely misunderstood how the indexing system works and was genuinely worried that my higher current earnings (around $55,000 after years of much lower wages) were somehow being "discounted" because they aren't indexed. Reading through everyone's real experiences has been such a relief! The key insight that helped me was understanding that indexing is designed to help your OLDER earnings compete fairly with your NEWER earnings by adjusting for inflation, not to penalize current work. When your current salary is genuinely higher than what you earned decades ago (even after that inflation adjustment), those current earnings still win and boost your benefit calculation. I immediately followed everyone's advice and created my ssa.gov account, and what an eye-opener! I can clearly see that my current earnings will replace several very low years from when I was working minimal hours. The 35-year calculation really does favor people with variable work histories when they have higher earnings later in their careers. This community has provided such valuable real-world evidence that working past 60 with higher earnings is beneficial, not harmful, for Social Security purposes. Thank you to everyone who shared their experiences - you've helped me make a much more confident decision about continuing to work rather than filing for early benefits!

As a newcomer to this community, I want to add my heartfelt thanks for this incredibly informative discussion! I'm 59 and recently got promoted to a position that will put me at around $70,000 starting next year - my highest salary ever after decades of lower-paying work. I had been losing sleep over whether accepting this promotion would somehow hurt my Social Security benefits because of the indexing cutoff at 60. I was even considering turning it down! But reading through all these real-world experiences has completely transformed my understanding. The breakthrough moment for me was realizing that the indexing system is actually designed to be FAIR - it gives your older earnings a chance to compete with modern wages by adjusting for inflation, but if you're genuinely earning more now than you did back then (even after that adjustment), your current work still provides the greater benefit. What really sealed it for me was seeing how many people here have tracked their actual benefit estimates on ssa.gov and watched them increase month by month as they continued working past 60 with higher salaries. That's concrete proof that the system works exactly as described. I'm definitely accepting this promotion and will be setting up my ssa.gov account this week to monitor how my estimated benefits change. This community has probably saved me from making a terrible career mistake based on a fundamental misunderstanding of how Social Security actually works. Thank you all for sharing your knowledge and experiences!

One additional tip for managing your withholding - you can change your withholding percentage at any time during the year if you find that 22% is too much or too little. Just submit Form W-4V (Voluntary Withholding Request) to SSA. I did this twice in my first year of collecting benefits as I figured out what worked best for my tax situation. It usually takes 1-2 months for the change to take effect, so plan accordingly if you need to adjust. Also worth noting that if you're married and your spouse also receives Social Security, you can have different withholding percentages on each person's benefits to fine-tune your overall tax strategy.

I totally don't understand or agree with the comment that withholding on SS benefits is before Medicare is deducted. I receive my first benefit in early September 2025, and I also had questions about the order in which medicare deductions and withholding are made, plus whether withholding is on the total benefit versus the benefit after medicare premiums/IRMAAs are deducted. I had heard different things from SSA agents. I just received my letters from SSA spelling this out, and it is very clear that everything stated previously on this thread is incorrect. From the letters (unless someone at SSA made an error-perish the thought), medicare premiums/IRMAAs are first deducted from my total benefit. The withholding percentage I selected on my W-4V (which is able to be done online now) is then subtracted from the remaining amount. For example, using some made-up numbers, if my total benefit is $4000, and my medicare amounts total $600, then my interim benefit is $3400. Next, 12% (in my case) of $3400 is computed ($408), and that is subtracted from $3400 to get a final net benefit of $2992. That is how the letter describes the computations and the order in which they are done.

I'm really sorry for your loss, Keisha. Based on what you've described and the helpful responses from others here, it sounds like you have the right approach - reporting this on your personal tax return since you're the actual recipient of the survivor benefit. One additional thing I'd suggest is double-checking with Social Security about your ongoing survivor benefits to make sure everything is set up correctly going forward. Sometimes there can be adjustments or changes in benefit amounts that you'll want to be aware of for future tax planning. Also, if you're feeling overwhelmed by managing three different tax returns, many tax professionals offer package deals for handling multiple related returns (personal, final, and estate) which can sometimes be more cost-effective than doing them separately. Take care of yourself during this difficult time, and don't hesitate to get professional help if you need the extra peace of mind!

I'm so sorry for your loss, Keisha. This is such a difficult situation to navigate while you're grieving. I went through something similar when my uncle passed away last year, and the tax implications were really confusing at first. Based on what you've described and the excellent advice from others here, it sounds like you're on the right track. Since Social Security specifically reissued that payment to you as the survivor (evidenced by both names being on the check with "deceased" notation), it's definitely your income to report on your personal tax return, not your mom's final return or the estate return. One thing I learned that might help you - when I was dealing with my uncle's situation, I found it really helpful to create a simple timeline document that outlined what happened and when. It helped me keep everything straight for my own understanding and also served as documentation if any questions came up later. Something like: "Mom passed December 2024 → SSA issued survivor payment January 2025 → Payment deposited to my account" etc. Also, since you're dealing with three different tax returns, I'd definitely echo the advice about considering a tax professional who can handle all three as a package. The peace of mind is worth it, especially during your first year dealing with all this. Hang in there - you're doing great managing all these complex details during such a difficult time.

I'm also dealing with a very similar situation and this thread has been absolutely invaluable! Filed in mid-December for February benefits, been paying Medicare Part B quarterly since turning 65, and I'm currently at about 7 weeks in Stage 2 processing. Before finding this discussion, I was really starting to panic that something was wrong with my application. It's such a relief to learn that 8-12 weeks is actually normal processing time right now, and that so many others are experiencing the exact same timeline. The Medicare premium overlap issue has been my biggest source of anxiety, but thanks to everyone's detailed experiences, I now have a solid plan: 1. Expect SSA to deduct Medicare premium from first payment despite advance payments 2. Proactively call Medicare Premium Collection Center (1-800-633-4227) about 2 weeks after first SS payment arrives 3. Request the CREDIT option instead of waiting months for a refund check 4. Stop direct Medicare payments once SS benefits begin I've already set up the text alerts through MySocialSecurity (thanks Lena for that tip!) and saved all the important phone numbers. The advice about calling SSA right at 8 AM is something I'll definitely try if needed. It's incredible how much this community has helped turn what felt like an overwhelming and confusing process into something manageable with a clear roadmap. The real-world experiences and practical advice here are so much more helpful than the generic government website information. Thank you to everyone who took the time to share their journeys - it's made such a difference during this stressful waiting period!

I'm also going through this exact situation and wanted to thank everyone for sharing such detailed experiences! Filed in early December for January benefits, been paying Medicare Part B quarterly since turning 65, and I'm at about 9 weeks in Stage 2 processing. This thread has been incredibly reassuring - I was getting really anxious thinking my application was stuck or something had gone wrong. Learning that 8-12 weeks is actually normal processing time right now has been such a relief! The Medicare premium overlap was my biggest concern, but now I have a clear strategy thanks to everyone's advice: - Accept that SSA will deduct the premium from my first payment regardless of advance payments - Proactively call Medicare Premium Collection Center (1-800-633-4227) about 2 weeks after my first SS payment - Request the CREDIT option rather than waiting for a refund check - Stop making direct Medicare payments once benefits start I've set up text alerts through MySocialSecurity and saved all the important numbers. The tip about calling SSA right at 8 AM is brilliant - I'll definitely try that if I need to contact them. It's amazing how this community has transformed what felt like an overwhelming and confusing process into something manageable with a clear roadmap. The real-world experiences shared here are so much more valuable than generic government website info. Thank you all for making this stressful waiting period so much more bearable!

I'm so sorry for your loss, Anastasia. What a difficult situation to navigate while grieving. After reading through all the excellent advice here, I think you have a really clear picture now of what to expect. One thing I haven't seen mentioned yet is that you might want to ask the SSA representative about setting up direct deposit during your call if you haven't already. They can usually handle that right away, which means once your benefits are approved, payments will go directly to your account without any delays for mailed checks. Also, if you have any adult children, you might want to consider having one of them nearby during the call (or on speaker if the rep allows it) as a second set of ears. Sometimes when we're stressed or emotional, it helps to have someone else listening who can help remember important details later. You've gotten such wonderful, thorough advice from everyone here. The consensus is clear - keep your October 31st appointment and don't stress about those few days until your birthday. You're going to do great, and this community will be here if you have any follow-up questions after your appointment. Take care of yourself during this difficult time.

I'm so sorry for your loss, Anastasia. Having just gone through this myself when my husband passed six months ago, I completely understand the overwhelming nature of all these decisions during such a difficult time. From everything shared here, you've received absolutely excellent advice - definitely keep your October 31st appointment. That 3-day difference truly is insignificant (around 0.3-0.4% of your benefit), and getting the process started will mean your first payment arrives in November rather than December. One additional tip that helped me tremendously: after your appointment, ask the representative for their direct phone number or extension if possible. While you can always call the main SSA number, sometimes having a direct contact who's already familiar with your case can save time if you have follow-up questions or need to submit additional documentation. Also, don't be discouraged if your first payment takes 4-6 weeks to arrive after your appointment. The system can be slow, but once it starts, payments are very reliable. You sound so much more confident and prepared now after all this community support. The hardest part is often just not knowing what to expect, and you definitely have that covered now. Wishing you strength for your appointment and the journey ahead.