my mom went thru this last year with my dad...the hospice social worker helped her with all the ss paperwork before he passed which was super helpful maybe ask if they have someone who can assist you?

I'm sorry for what your family is going through. One additional thing to keep in mind - if your mom was receiving spousal benefits based on your dad's record instead of her own work record, the situation would be different. But since she's already receiving her own higher benefit ($2,450 vs $1,750), she'll continue getting that amount. Just make sure when you contact SSA to report the death, you specifically ask them to confirm that her payments will continue uninterrupted. Sometimes there can be brief processing delays, so it's good to get written confirmation of what to expect.

One additional consideration: tax implications. Since both of you are working and potentially drawing Social Security, be aware of how this might affect the taxation of your benefits. Up to 85% of your Social Security benefits can be taxable depending on your combined income. This is another reason why delaying benefits while you continue to work can be advantageous - you avoid having benefits that would be subject to higher taxation during your working years.

Just wanted to add my experience as someone who went through this exact scenario two years ago. I was born in 1958 (so subject to the new rules) and my spouse had already maximized her benefit at 70. I initially thought I could be clever and collect spousal benefits first, but quickly learned that's no longer possible for our birth year cohort. What really helped me make the decision was running the break-even analysis. Even though waiting until 70 meant giving up 3+ years of benefits, the higher monthly amount ($600 more in your case) meant I'd break even around age 82-83. Given life expectancy and the fact that we didn't immediately need the income, it was a no-brainer to wait. Also worth mentioning - I kept working part-time until 70, and those continued earnings actually boosted my final benefit calculation slightly since they replaced some lower-earning years from earlier in my career. The SSA recalculates your benefit annually if you continue working, so that's a nice bonus on top of the delayed retirement credits. The peace of mind knowing I maximized our household's guaranteed income for life was worth the wait. Best of luck with your decision!

Just remember that these webinars are designed to give you the BARE MINIMUM information! They DON'T tell you about all the loopholes and special filing strategies that could get you thousands more in benefits. My financial advisor showed me how to optimize my benefits in ways the SSA never mentioned. They're not going to tell you how to maximize your payout!

I attended the webinar about 6 months ago when I was 62 and considering early retirement. It's definitely worth the hour, especially if you're new to Social Security planning like I was. They do a good job explaining the relationship between your full retirement age and benefit amounts, and the breakeven analysis for early vs delayed filing was eye-opening. One thing I found particularly useful was their explanation of how continuing to work affects your benefits - both the earnings test limits and how additional earnings can potentially increase your benefit amount if they're higher than previous years in your top 35. My advice: attend with specific questions ready. The Q&A portion was where I learned the most, including details about Medicare enrollment timing that I hadn't considered. Even though it's basic level, it gives you a solid foundation to build on when you start diving deeper into your personal strategy.

my sister tried doing the thing where she only filed for spousal and they AUTOMATICALLY filed her for her own benefits too even though she told them not to. she was so mad! but the SSA person said the law changed and they had no choice. this was in 2020.

As someone who just went through this process last year, I can confirm what others are saying about the deemed filing rules. My wife and I had the exact same confusion! One thing I'd add that hasn't been mentioned much - make sure you get your benefit estimates updated from SSA before making your final decision. The $2,950 and $2,250 estimates you mentioned might have changed based on recent earnings or COLA adjustments. Also, consider creating accounts on ssa.gov for both of you if you haven't already. You can run "what if" scenarios there to see exactly how different claiming strategies would affect your monthly benefits. It really helped us visualize the trade-offs. The strategy of having your husband file at FRA while you wait until 70 is solid given your numbers, especially with family longevity on your side. Just remember that once you make the decision, you generally can't change it (except for a limited withdrawal option within 12 months). Good luck with your planning!

One additional planning consideration: When you sell your business, will it be a lump sum or structured payout? If it's a lump sum, that year might have very high income and potentially cause more of your Social Security to be taxable if you're already collecting. Another reason delaying could be beneficial in your situation - you can coordinate the timing of the business sale and Social Security start to minimize overall taxation. Up to 85% of your SS benefits can be subject to income tax depending on your combined income.

As someone new to this community, I'm really impressed by the depth of knowledge shared here! Your strategy sounds very sound given your circumstances. One thing I'd add that I learned from my own research is to also consider the impact of Medicare premiums (IRMAA) when coordinating your business sale with Social Security timing. High income years can increase your Medicare Part B and D premiums for up to two years later. Since you're planning a lump sum business sale, delaying SS until after that transaction could help minimize both income taxes on SS benefits AND avoid higher Medicare premiums down the road. It's yet another piece of the puzzle that reinforces your approach of waiting until 70.