Thanks everyone for all the helpful information! So if I'm understanding correctly: 1. I can't do the "claim spousal first, then switch to my own later" strategy because I was born after 1954 2. When I file (at any age), I'll automatically be applying for both benefits and get the higher amount 3. If I claim at 62, both amounts would be permanently reduced 4. My best options are either claim everything early if I need the money, or wait until 70 if I can afford it I think I'm going to talk to a financial advisor who specializes in Social Security before making my final decision. This is too important to get wrong!

Great summary Oliver! You've got the key points right. One small clarification on timing - you mentioned talking to a financial advisor, which is smart, but also consider scheduling an appointment directly with your local Social Security office once you're closer to making a decision. They can run the exact numbers for your specific situation and show you projected benefit amounts at different claiming ages. Also, don't forget to factor in Medicare costs when you're doing your financial planning. Even if you delay Social Security until 70, you'll still need to enroll in Medicare at 65 to avoid penalties, and those premiums will be an ongoing expense to consider in your retirement budget. The fact that you're planning this out well in advance puts you way ahead of most people. Take your time with the decision - you've got several months to crunch the numbers and see what works best for your situation!

Thank you all so much for the helpful information! I just talked to Mom and she's incredibly relieved. She was actually considering postponing the marriage because of the financial concerns, but now she feels comfortable moving forward. She does have some Extra Help with her Medicare Part D, so we'll look into how that might be affected. I'm going to help her schedule an appointment with SSA to confirm everything for her specific situation. I really appreciate everyone taking the time to share your knowledge!

That's wonderful news! I'm so happy your mom can move forward with her marriage without worrying about losing her survivor benefits. Just a quick additional tip - when she does contact SSA, she might want to ask about whether she should report the marriage proactively or wait until after it happens. Some offices prefer advance notice while others just want to be notified after the fact. Also, make sure she brings a copy of the marriage certificate when she does report it. Best wishes to your mom and her fiancé on their upcoming wedding!

One thing that might help while you're waiting to get through to SSA - you can create a my Social Security account online at ssa.gov to see your estimated benefits at different claiming ages. While it won't show you your ex-spouse benefit amount (since that depends on his record), it will give you a clear picture of what your own retirement benefit would be at 70 versus now. This can help you prepare for the conversation with SSA and give you a baseline to compare against when they tell you about the ex-spouse benefit option. The online account also shows your complete earnings history, so you can double-check that all your wages were properly credited. It's free and only takes a few minutes to set up with some basic verification questions.

Just want to add one important point that I don't think was mentioned - even though your ex-husband is still working and hasn't filed for his benefits yet, his continued earnings could actually be increasing his Social Security benefit calculation. The SSA uses your highest 35 years of earnings to calculate your Primary Insurance Amount (PIA), so if he's still earning more now than he did in some of his earlier working years, those new higher earnings could replace lower earning years and increase his PIA. This would mean the 50% ex-spouse benefit available to you could potentially be higher than if he had stopped working earlier. However, this only matters if your ex-spouse benefit ends up being higher than your own benefit at 70, which based on what others have said about your situation, seems less likely. Still worth knowing when you talk to SSA though!

my bro n sis-in-law just thru this. big headache. they had 2 go in person to ssa office cuz every time they calld they got diffrnt answers!! makes u crazy!!

Just wanted to add one more thing that helped me understand the timing better - even though your spousal benefit amount is based on your husband's PIA (not his reduced amount), you still can't claim spousal benefits until your husband has actually filed for his own benefits. Since he's filing next month at 62, you'll be eligible to claim spousal benefits anytime after that (though waiting until your FRA of 67 gets you the full 50%). I made the mistake of thinking I could wait until my husband reached HIS full retirement age to start my spousal benefits, but that's not how it works. The clock starts ticking once he files, regardless of his age when he files.

Has anyone mentioned the RIB-LIM rule yet?? That caught me by surprise with survivor benefits. If you take your OWN retirement early before applying for survivor benefits, they limit your survivor amount later! The SSA website doesn't explain this clearly AT ALL!!

I'm so sorry for your loss, Carmen. Losing a spouse so young is devastating, and trying to navigate all these financial decisions while grieving is incredibly difficult. From what everyone has shared, it sounds like you have a few strategic options to consider: 1. **Apply now at 63**: You'd get about $370/month after the earnings test reduction, but you'd be locked into that reduced survivor benefit percentage (around 81%). 2. **Wait until you're closer to retirement**: At 65, you'd get ~92% of her benefit, and if you reduce your work hours, less would be lost to the earnings test. 3. **Wait until your FRA at 67**: You'd get 100% of her benefit with no earnings test reduction. The key insight from the discussion is that survivor benefits are unique - you can switch between your own retirement and survivor benefits to maximize your total lifetime benefits. Many financial advisors recommend taking the lower benefit first, then switching to the higher one at age 70 if applicable. Given your situation, I'd strongly recommend getting a personalized benefit estimate from SSA (using that Claimyr service someone mentioned might help you actually reach them). They can run the numbers for your specific case and help you understand exactly what your survivor benefit would be versus your own retirement benefit at different ages. You don't have to make this decision alone, and there's no rush - take time to get all the information you need.