Dear Larry, My DOB is 12/54. My understanding is that I can collect Full benefits at 66. I can collect partial at age 65...but with limits on earned income. I am divorced and will be able to collect spousal benefits at some point ..Per the divorce I receive a portion of his military retirement. How will this effect what I receive from social security?

Hi,

Nothing that you get from the military or VA would have any impact on either your own Social Security retirement benefits or divorced spousal benefits.

It sounds like your understanding of your Social Security options is correct, but assuming that your ex-spouse is living you'll only qualify for divorced spousal benefits if 50% of your ex's primary insurance amount (PIA) is higher than your own PIA. A person's PIA is the amount of their Social Security retirement benefits if they start drawing at full retirement age (FRA). You may want to consider using our software (https://maximizemysocialsecurity.com/purchase) to fully explore and compare your options so that you can choose the best possible strategy for claiming your benefits.

Best, Jerry