I am 64 and am currently on RRB occupational disability. My wife just turned 62 on (/3/2017). I have been led to believe that she could file for reduced SS benefits at 62 on her own earnings, which were meager and will only net her a monthly premium of $628. Then when she turns 66 and 2 months, she can file for her RRB Spousal benefit which at this date figuring roughly half my current RRB premium is around $1350. My question is, since her social security on her earnings is certified with the RRB Board, will her filing at 62 for reduced SS benefits in any way reduce or negatively affect her RRB spousal benefits when she files for them at 66 and 2 months, -----------or is this a bad idea. There does not seem to be much sharing of knowledge between SS and RRB. I anxiously await your response, as we have already filed with SS for her reduced benefits to begin in Jan. 2018.-----------Jerry

Hi Jerry,

I'm sorry, but my expertise is limited to Social Security benefits so I can't fully answer your question. You'll probably need to check with the Railroad Board (RRB) for a definitive answer. You may also want to peruse the following reference from the Railroad Board's website: https://www.rrb.gov/NewsRoom/NewsReleases/Q%26A%3A%20Railroad%20Retireme....

I can tell you that your wife is free to file for reduced Social Security (SS) benefits on her own record at age 62, but the roughly 25% benefit reduction that she accepts in return is likely permanent. If she later files for an RRB spousal benefit, she will only receive the higher of a) her reduced SS benefit rate or b) her Tier 1 RR rate, plus any Tier 2 RR benefits to which she is entitled. Therefore, the reduction that she takes to start receiving her SS benefits early may or may not have a long term negative effect depending on whether or not she is able to receive to receive a higher Tier 1 RR rate in the future. Even then, though, there may be alternate options such as filing for her RR spousal benefits first and allowing her SS benefit rate to grow until age 70 that could be even more advantageous depending on her relative SS and Tier 1 RR rates.

Our software can help your wife determine her potential Social Security benefit rates and options, but doesn't handle RR benefits.

Best, Jerry