Larry,

I’m a former customer, having subscribed twice over a 3+ year period and was very happy with your planning tool

Last week, both my spouse and our disabled adult child(DAC) each received a separate letter from SSA stating; ‘We reduced the monthly benefit amount beginning Dec 2022 because of a change in the way we compute benefits when someone is entitled on more than one SSA record.’

Hi Larry,
How are you?
I will be one year past my FRA in January 2023 and plan on working another 2-3 years
and will exceed the limits on taxable income for those years as regards SS taxes.
I have 2 sons who are 10. My reading of the FMB from the SSA website is that the
FMB is calculated based on my PIA at FRA and not any further increases even though
I will continue working and exceed the SS taxable income limits. Is this incorrect or
will my FMB payments increase each year regardless of any COLA increase?

Hi Larry; I will turn 62 in February. On Friday I received an updated statement from social security with an increased benefit amount of 8.89% for ages 62-70, however my “Family Maximum” benefit was unchanged. I ran the calculations for AIME, PIA and the Family Maximum using the 2023 bend points which resulted in a significant increase in the Family Maximum. Is this expected? Or an error by social security? Thanks for your help.

I purchased your Maximize plan approximately a year and a half ago. I ran many scenarios and decided to follow the suggested Maximize Plan to delay collecting SS until I am 70 and my wife will be 65. She does not have her own history. My PIA is about $3100 and my SS at 70 is projected to be about $4100. I just read a SS provision regarding Maximum Family Benefit when using only one spouse's benefit. I am curious and concerned that we would be over that Family limit at age 70 when we both start collecting my SS and her spousal benefit.

Is the COLA applied against the Family Maximum amount as a whole or used in the equation (e,g, PIA amounts with bend points) to arrive at the family maximum amount for a given year? Results vary under these 2 presumptions.

Hi Larry, I apologize if this question has been asked before. I looked for it in the asked questions and didn’t see it. Can you explain how the COLA affects the family maximum benefit?

On a separate note, I read where there may be a $200 increase for recipients instead this year. . Have you also heard this? You are always so helpful. Thank you so much.

Hi Larry. My husband reaches full retirement age in 2 months. He plans to take his retirement, but continue working for 1-2 more years. We have a DAC, and I plan to file for spousal benefit for caring for my son. So when he finally completely retires, is the family maximum amount based on his full retirement age benefit or will it increase if he works an additional 2 years. Also will the survivor benefit be based on full retirement benefit, or will it be based on the amount he would get when he finally does retire? Thank you so much, janelle

I am 77, PIA =2891, married, with an adult disable son drawing 50% on my record=1445. My wife is 66 and is applying on my record, no record of her own. My family max is 5060. Therefore, my present wife and adult disabled chlild will get 1080 each on my record using my family max, which reduces the benefit of my disabled child to 1080 from 1445. But the adult disabled child, who lives with my EX is entitled to her record as well. Her PIA is 847 and her family max is 150% of that. what is the benefit of the disabled child after combining the maximum for me and my EX?

Larry, I am 76 getting 2891 soc sec monthly benefits. I have a disable son before age 22 who gets half of mine and lives with my EX. I am married more than a year and wife does not qualify on her own record. She will apply on my record, she is 66.
My EX who is the mother of my disable son is collecting ss benefits on her record.
I computed my family max at 5050, which at first calculation leaves 2160 to be now divided between my wife and disable son.
This means the my sons adult disable benefits will be cut.

My husband's PIA is $2,852
His a family maximum is $4,992
My son's ssdi on his own record is $1,413
My son's dac on his father's record is $13
I recently applied for my benefits and spousal benefits
My benefit is $1,016
My spousal benefit is $20
I believe Social Security made a mistake when they calculated my spousal benefits.
I believe this happened because both my son and I have dual entitlement.
After subtracting my husband's PIA from family maximum the amount is $2,140.