That's wonderful that you found a good solution! Having her son take the lead is definitely the right approach. Just a heads up - even with family members, the SSA office might still ask your neighbor to verbally confirm that she wants her son to handle things on her behalf, so it's good that you'll all be there together. Best of luck with the appointment, and you're such a thoughtful neighbor for helping her get this sorted out!

What a wonderful example of community support! I'm new here but wanted to chime in with one additional tip - when you go to the SSA office, try to arrive early (like 15-30 minutes before they open) if possible. The earlier appointment slots tend to move faster, and with your neighbor's memory concerns, avoiding the afternoon rush when she might be more tired could be really helpful. Also, bringing a small snack and water bottle for the wait can make a big difference for elderly folks. You're doing such a kind thing by helping organize this for her!

To summarize what everyone has shared: 1. Withdrawals from 401k/IRA accounts will NOT reduce your monthly Social Security benefit amount 2. These withdrawals ARE considered income for determining how much of your Social Security becomes taxable 3. If your combined income (AGI + non-taxable interest + 1/2 of SS benefits) exceeds certain thresholds, up to 85% of your SS benefits could be subject to income tax 4. For 2025, those thresholds are: - 50% taxable when combined income exceeds $32,000 (married filing jointly) - 85% taxable when combined income exceeds $44,000 (married filing jointly) 5. Once you reach age 73, Required Minimum Distributions from traditional retirement accounts (not Roth) will be mandatory This is why many retirees benefit from tax planning that balances withdrawals across different account types to manage their tax liability effectively.

Just wanted to add one more thing that might help - if you have both traditional and Roth accounts, you might want to consider doing some Roth conversions in years when your income is lower, before you hit those RMD requirements at 73. Converting traditional IRA money to Roth means paying taxes now, but then those Roth withdrawals won't count toward your AGI later and won't affect the taxation of your Social Security benefits. It's something to discuss with your tax professional, but it can be a smart strategy for managing your long-term tax burden in retirement.

As a newcomer to this community, I want to add my experience to this incredibly reassuring discussion! I just filed my Social Security retirement application online from Montana yesterday and this morning received notification that it's being processed by the Jacksonville, Florida office. Like absolutely everyone else here, my immediate reaction was panic - I thought there had been a major system error or that my application had somehow gotten completely lost in the wrong place! But reading through all these detailed real-world experiences has completely transformed my understanding and anxiety into confidence. It's truly amazing how universal that initial "something must be wrong!" reaction seems to be, yet how consistently positive all the actual outcomes have been regardless of which out-of-state office handles the processing. The former SSA employee's thorough explanation about workload distribution was particularly valuable in helping me grasp that this is actually an intentional and sophisticated efficiency system rather than a concerning mistake. I'm especially encouraged by all the reports of faster processing times when applications go to offices with better capacity. Following the great advice shared throughout this thread, I've already set up my online monitoring and text alerts, and I'm going to focus on patience rather than unnecessary worry. This community is such an incredible resource for people navigating this process for the first time - thank you all for sharing your experiences so openly and creating such a supportive environment where newcomers can learn from real-world outcomes!

As a newcomer to this community, I want to thank everyone for sharing such detailed and helpful experiences! I just submitted my Social Security retirement application online from Rhode Island this morning and received notification that it's being processed by the Phoenix, Arizona office. Like so many others here, my first reaction was complete confusion - I thought there must have been some kind of mix-up since Rhode Island and Arizona seem like such an unlikely combination! But after reading through all these real-world experiences, I feel so much more at ease about the situation. It's incredible how consistent everyone's positive outcomes have been, regardless of which out-of-state office handled their claims. The former SSA employee's explanation about workload balancing was particularly enlightening and really helped me understand that this is actually an efficient system designed to speed up processing rather than cause problems. I'm especially encouraged by all the reports of faster processing times with out-of-state offices that have more capacity available. Following the excellent advice shared here, I've already set up my online account monitoring and will check regularly rather than worry unnecessarily. This community is such a valuable resource for people going through this process for the first time - thank you all for creating such a supportive and informative environment!

As a newcomer who's been following this entire discussion, I have to say this has been both incredibly educational and quite alarming! I came here hoping to get clear guidance on Social Security withholding before I set up my own, but instead I've discovered what appears to be a significant problem with consistency in SSA's procedures. The fundamental contradiction between members reporting withholding calculated on gross benefits (before Medicare) versus @Rick B's official SSA documentation showing it calculated after Medicare deductions is deeply concerning. This isn't a minor detail - it could mean hundreds of dollars difference in withholding over a year. What's most troubling is @Dana Mulvany's observation that SSA's own online withholding system might have implementation errors. If their automated tools are calculating incorrectly, that could be affecting thousands of people who trust the system to handle their taxes properly. Given all this uncertainty, I think I'm going to: 1. Start with a conservative (higher) withholding percentage as a safety buffer 2. Document everything meticulously 3. Manually verify the calculation method on my first benefit statement 4. Consider reporting any discrepancies to SSA's Office of Inspector General It's frustrating that beneficiaries have to become their own quality control for basic federal procedures, but this discussion has shown that's exactly what we need to do. Thank you all for sharing your real experiences - even the conflicting information has been invaluable for understanding just how inconsistent this process can be!

As a newcomer to this community, I have to say this discussion has been both incredibly helpful and quite concerning! I was planning to set up withholding soon and thought it would be straightforward, but this thread has revealed some serious inconsistencies in how SSA handles these calculations. The contradiction between the early responses saying withholding is calculated on gross benefits (before Medicare deductions) versus @Rick B's official SSA documentation showing it's calculated after Medicare deductions is really alarming. This isn't just a minor detail - it could mean a difference of hundreds of dollars in withholding over the course of a year. @Dana Mulvany's point about potential implementation errors in the online system is particularly troubling. If SSA's own automated withholding tool is calculating incorrectly, that could be affecting thousands of beneficiaries who trust the system to handle their taxes properly. Given all this uncertainty, I think I'll take the conservative approach several others have mentioned - start with a higher withholding percentage as a safety buffer, document everything meticulously, and manually verify which calculation method SSA actually uses on my first benefit statement. Once I know for certain how my specific case is being handled, I can adjust accordingly. It's frustrating that we as beneficiaries have to become our own quality control for basic federal procedures, but this discussion has made it clear that's exactly what's needed right now. Thank you all for sharing your real experiences - even the conflicting information has been invaluable for showing just how inconsistent this process can be!

One thing I haven't seen mentioned yet is the Medicare implications. When you pass away, your wife's Medicare coverage won't change - she'll keep her own Medicare benefits. However, if you currently have a Medicare Supplement (Medigap) policy or Medicare Advantage plan that covers both of you, she may need to adjust her coverage since those policies are typically individual. Also, if she's currently covered under your employer health insurance and you're both retired, make sure she understands what happens to that coverage. Some employer plans allow surviving spouses to continue coverage through COBRA, but it can be expensive. It's worth reviewing all your insurance coverage now - not just Social Security - to make sure she has a clear picture of what changes and what stays the same. This includes life insurance policies that might help bridge the financial gap during the Social Security transition period.

I'm a financial planner and want to add some perspective on timing that might help with your planning. While everyone's mentioned the 6-8 week processing time, there's actually a "protective filing date" option that's worth knowing about. If your wife calls SSA within a reasonable time after your death (even if she doesn't have all the documents ready), they can establish a filing date that protects her benefits from that point forward. This means if she calls in January but doesn't complete the full application until March due to missing paperwork, her benefits could still be calculated from the January date. The key is making that initial contact promptly, even if she's not ready to complete everything immediately. Also, since you're both at FRA, there's no reduction in survivor benefits - she'll get 100% of your Primary Insurance Amount. If you were to delay your retirement benefits past FRA to earn delayed retirement credits, those credits would also transfer to her as survivor benefits, potentially increasing what she'd receive beyond your current $2,800.