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If I could give 10 stars I would If I could give 10 stars I would Such an amazing service so needed during the times when EDD almost never picks up Claimyr gets me on the phone with EDD every time without fail faster. A much needed service without Claimyr I would have never received the payment I needed to support me during my postpartum recovery. Thank you so much Claimyr!
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An incredibly helpful service! Got me connected to a CA EDD agent without major hassle (outside of EDD's agents dropping calls – which Claimyr has free protection for). If you need to file a new claim and can't do it online, pay the $ to Claimyr to get the process started. Absolutely worth it!
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Used this service a couple times now. Before I'd call 200 times in less than a weak frustrated as can be. But using claimyr with a couple hours of waiting i was on the line with an representative or on hold. Dropped a couple times but each reconnected not long after and was mission accomplished, thanks to Claimyr.
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I went to a retirement seminar last week and the financial advisor said most of these online calculators are pretty accurate. He recommended that site specifically! He also said to add 5-7 years to whatever you think your life expectancy is because most people underestimate. Apparently women especially tend to live longer than they plan for financially.
did the advisor try to sell you anything? my cousin went to one of those "free" seminars and got pressured into buying some annuity thing that she didnt need at all. be careful!
I think what matters more than the life expectancy they use is your OWN family history and health. My parents both passed in their early 70s from heart issues that run in the family, so I'm planning to claim at 62. No calculator knows YOUR situation!
That's absolutely correct. While statistical averages are useful for general guidance, your personal health, family history, and financial situation should ultimately drive your decision. For someone with health concerns or family history of shorter lifespans, claiming earlier can be the rational choice. The "optimal" claiming strategy is always personal.
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Wait a minute - has anyone mentioned the impact on taxes here? When my wife started collecting her retirement on top of my SSDI, it pushed our combined income into a higher tax bracket and suddenly 85% of my SSDI became taxable! The extra benefit amount wasn't worth the tax hit. Make sure to consider the tax implications before you get excited about any potential increase!
Based on the numbers you shared, let's do a quick calculation: If your husband's benefit at his full retirement age (before any delayed retirement credits) is around $2,800, then 50% of that would be $1,400. Since your current SSDI is $1,650, which is higher than the $1,400 spousal benefit you might be eligible for, you likely won't receive any additional amount through dual entitlement. However, these are just estimates. Your husband's PIA (Primary Insurance Amount) might be different from his actual benefit if he's delaying past full retirement age. I'd still recommend applying for the spousal benefit once he files, just to make sure you don't miss out on any potential increase.
Thank you for working through those numbers! That's really helpful to see the actual calculation. You're right that we won't know the exact amounts until he actually files, but at least now I have a better understanding of how it works and what to expect.
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Has your SIL checked if she'd be subject to WEP or GPO??? My friend's wife thought she'd get spousal benefits too but got hit with the windfall elimination provision because she had a government pension!!! If your SIL worked for state govt or federal job without paying into SS, that could change EVERYTHING!!!!
Good point about WEP/GPO, though the original post mentioned both were high wage earners, which suggests they both paid into Social Security throughout their careers. But you're right that if either had non-covered employment (government jobs without SS taxes), that would significantly change the calculations.
Just wanted to share that I was in this exact situation - high earner husband, also good income myself. I got ZERO spousal benefits. My own benefit at FRA was about $2,800 and half of his PIA was only $1,900 so no excess for me. Probably same for your sister-in-law if she has a good earnings record.
Thanks for sharing your real numbers - that helps put things in perspective. I'm guessing she'll be in a similar situation based on her career, but at least now she knows what to expect!
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have you checked whether you can get benefits based on YOUR work record? my friend thought her ex would give her more but turned out her own SS was actually better!!!
That's a good point! I should definitely check my own record. I've worked on and off for about 25 years, though many years were part-time. I'll create a my Social Security account and check my estimated benefits.
I wish they would make these rules simpler to understand. It's like they WANT us to mess up our retirement planning! When my mom retired, she had no idea she could have gotten more by waiting until her FRA. Now she's stuck with a permanently reduced benefit. The whole system feels rigged sometimes.
omg same with my aunt!! she took SS at 62 and now gets like $300 less EVERY MONTH than if she waited. nobody told her and she cant go back and change it. so messed up!!!
PrinceJoe
One thing to consider is that even with the WEP reduction, it still might make financial sense to claim at 64 rather than waiting, depending on your health and financial situation. I ran calculations for myself and found that the break-even point where waiting until FRA made sense was around 82 years old. So if you don't expect to live past that age, taking it earlier could give you more lifetime benefits even with the WEP reduction. Just something to think about.
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Ruby Blake
•That's an interesting perspective. I'm in good health and longevity runs in my family, so I'm leaning toward waiting. But you're right - I should actually run the numbers for my specific situation to find that break-even point. Did you use a specific calculator for that analysis?
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PrinceJoe
•I used Excel and created my own spreadsheet. I took the monthly benefit amount after WEP at different claiming ages, multiplied by 12 for annual amount, and then calculated cumulative benefits for each year of life. The point where the lines crossed was my break-even age. There are also online calculators but most don't account for WEP properly.
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Owen Devar
do u know if u paid into SS for those govt jobs? some govt jobs do pay into SS so maybe WEP wont affect u?? just checkin
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Ruby Blake
•Good question - I know for certain my state government position did NOT pay into Social Security (we had a separate pension system instead). That's why I'm concerned about WEP. If I had paid into SS for those years, you're right that WEP wouldn't apply.
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