Just to share what I learned after meeting with a financial planner specializing in retirement - those tiny reductions for being so close to FRA aren't really significant in the grand scheme. What matters more is: 1) Do you need the money now? 2) Are you still working? and 3) What's your life expectancy based on your health and family history? With just 2 months' difference, this is more of a personal preference decision than a major financial one. Either choice is reasonable! Best of luck with your retirement - sounds like you've planned well!

I'm in a similar boat - turning 67 in June and considering starting benefits a month or two early. One thing I've been researching is whether there are any state tax implications to consider. Some states don't tax Social Security at all, while others do, and the timing of when you start might affect which tax year those benefits fall into. Also, have you considered the impact on your overall tax situation? If you have other retirement income (sounds like you have a pension), starting SS a couple months early might push you into a different tax bracket for part of the year. Probably not a huge deal with just 2 months, but worth running the numbers. Your situation sounds very manageable either way - the financial difference is minimal, so it really comes down to your personal preference and immediate cash flow needs.

NOBODY mentioned that survivor benefits taken at 60 are reduced by 28.5% FOREVER!!! she's only getting 71.5% of what she would get if she waited till her FRA!!! i hope the counseling job pays well because that's a big hit to take on lifetime benefits!!!

As someone who recently went through a similar earnings situation, I wanted to add that it's worth asking SSA about establishing a payment plan if you do end up with an overpayment next year. When I had to pay back benefits, they let me set up monthly payments rather than demanding a lump sum, which made it much more manageable on my budget. Also, keep detailed records of all your communications with SSA about this - dates you called, representative names if you get them, and what was discussed. This documentation can be really helpful if there are any discrepancies later when they process your final earnings report. Good luck with the rest of your counseling work! It sounds like you're handling this situation exactly the right way by being proactive.

Thank you all for this amazing advice. I think I understand it better now. My wife will track her earnings carefully for Jan-May 2025, making sure to stay under the monthly limit (around $4,960) as much as possible. We'll watch out for bonuses and vacation pay too. I'm going to have her call SSA to report her expected earnings for those months, and we'll use that Claimyr service if we can't get through normally. Then once she hits FRA in June, she can earn unlimited amounts without affecting her benefits. Is there anything I'm still missing or misunderstanding?

Just wanted to add one more piece of advice from my experience helping clients with this situation: make sure your wife understands that the earnings test applies to her GROSS earnings, not her net take-home pay after taxes and deductions. I've seen people get confused about this and accidentally exceed the limit because they were only tracking their net pay. Also, if she has any self-employment income (like freelance work or a small side business), the rules can be more complex since they look at net earnings from self-employment rather than gross. But for regular W-2 employment income, it's straightforward - just track the gross wages shown on her paystubs. One last thing: if she does accidentally go over the limit in any month, don't panic. As others mentioned, SSA is generally reasonable about working with you to resolve overpayments, especially if you report the issue promptly and work with them in good faith.

Sounds like a solid plan. One more tip: when you log in to your mySocialSecurity account, look for the \

One thing I haven't seen mentioned yet is that you should also consider the impact of healthcare costs during those gap years from 60-67. Without employer insurance, you'll need to factor in the cost of private health insurance or ACA marketplace plans until you're eligible for Medicare at 65. For some people, those healthcare costs can eat into any potential Social Security benefit gains from working longer. It's another piece of the puzzle when weighing early retirement vs. continuing to work. Make sure to get quotes for individual health insurance in your area as part of your decision-making process!

One final consideration: Double-check when your FRA actually is for survivor benefits. For retirement benefits, FRA for someone born in 1962 is 67. But for survivor benefits, the FRA can be different - it could be 66 and 10 months. This small difference matters for planning purposes if you want to completely avoid the earnings test.

I'm so sorry for your loss, Sofia. Losing a spouse at such a young age is heartbreaking, and navigating all these complex benefit rules while grieving just adds to the burden. Your strategy sounds solid based on what others have shared. I wanted to add one thing that might help with the SSA communication frustration - if you have a local SSA office, sometimes scheduling an in-person appointment can be more productive than trying to get through on the phone. You can use their online appointment system at ssa.gov, and having face-to-face time with someone who can pull up your records and walk through scenarios might give you more confidence in your planning. Also, since you mentioned your wife had about 25 years of SS-covered employment before switching to teaching, her benefit calculation should be pretty straightforward without WEP complications on her record. That's good news for your survivor benefit amount. Take care of yourself through this process - it's a lot to figure out, but you're asking all the right questions.