Dear Larry, I've been on full SSDI since 2006 and i'm turning 66 in 7 months from now (in May, 2018). I was a widow but remarried 3 years ago and my new husband is 69. I was told my SSDI benefit would continue at the same amount as it is now and turn into regular SS automatically when I turn 66. Is that correct? Do I need to do anything or contact SSA beforehand to increase my benefit using my new husband' income history?
Thank you So much for all the great work you do! God Bless You!!

Hi,

My wife and I both have earning records that allow each of us to receive individual SS benefits. My wife turned 66 in March of 2017 and began collecting her FRA benefit. I will turn 66 in February of 2018 and plan to delay my own benefit until age 70. In the meantime, I am planning to file a restricted application to receive a spousal benefit based on her current FRA benefit. If my projected FRA benefit is higher than the benefit she is now receiving, will I qualify to receive the spousal benefit?

Hi,

my husband has pancreatic cancer stage 3 he is on ss he is 64 and not a very high survivor rate i'm 62 with real bad arthritis and i clean for a living i would like to take my early ss not only to be able to spend more time with him but because my body hurts real bad no way of working at any thing els because i have a very bad hearing problem i had a doctor tell me that i was very close to being legally deaf my ? is if i take an early ss wen he passes will i be entitled to his witch would be more than mine thank you

Hi,

I was married for 25 years when my husband wanted a divorce. I was 53 y/o when our divorce was final.
He is 2 yrs younger than me. I have never remarried and neither has he.
I thought that I either received 1/2 of my husband's SS or all of my own. 1/2 of his was not as much as all of mine.

Aloha
I have read your book Get What'ts Yours and have a quick question or 2.
Our situation has changed in the past few wks, since my husband found out that he needs a new Aortic valve replaced on Oct 10 th.

He is 69 & I am 62 I plan to work til I am 70 as a therapist. He is a boatbuilder and will be on Short term disability and then possibly CA unemployment depending on his recovery.

My wife recently passed away from cancer at age 59. She was on disability for the last year of her life. She did not work regularly. I am 61 and I have no concept of this whole survivor benefit. I would like to figure my best chance to retire in a year or two. I have some stocks, but I only make about $75,000 a year now.
Can you help me understand my options?

Hi,

I'm sorry for your loss.

The MMSS tool consistently maximizes my benefits by recommending filing for my survivors benefit first and then switching to my retirement benefit at age 70. This is true over numerous what if scenarios with my age at the time of filing from anywhere between 61 and 64. Yet even with modest income projections, my retirement benefit surpasses my deceased wife's PIA at around age 62. This would appear to conflict with the last statement of the following excerpt from the "What's Under The Hood" document on the MMSS website:

Larry I sent you wrong info about my current boyfriend I had told you his wife died from cancer after 34 years of marriage he was born June 26 1950 .. He was not yet 62 when she passed.. He drew from his wife's benefits a few months as she had passed until he hit 62 a few months later.. and then he drew from his own which was higher.. Is he still eligible for anything of his wife's benefits as I think social security probably screwed him up.. He only drew something from her passing just a few short months before converting to his own benefits at age 62 .. He is now 67..

Hi Larry. I was praying all day monday 9/18 you or colleagues would answer my question. I keep looking but so far it hasn't been answered. I’m worried i made a terrible mistake.
I didnt realize you could switch from taking my own reduced benefits after 62, then take maximum widow benefits at 66. I didn't understand about the switch. i thought you could take one or the other. So i feel sick basically. Because i didn't start taking my benefits.

Here is the letter i sent you monday.

I will be turning 62 in November 2017, my first marriage of 16 years I stayed home with the kids and did not work. I remarried. My husband is 54. Please tell me what I should do. I figure my husband will work till he's 70.

Hi,