Hi Larry,

My husband will turn 62 this year and does not currently have a FT job. I am 46 and work FT. Should my husband collect SS benefits now or wait until full retirement? I still have many years before I am eligible for my own SS benefits. Also, how will this affect my eligibility for spousal benefits? Thank you.

Hi,

I am 63 and eligible to begin receiving benefits under my own name or that of my deceased husband. My benefit is considerably less than my spouse's. Can I collect the smaller amount in my name until I am 66 and then switch to the higher benefit of my husband?

Hi,

Essentially, yes you can, but you wouldn't actually switch to the higher widow's benefit. Social Security would continue to pay you your own benefit, plus an excess widow's benefit that would bring your combined rate up to the full widow's rate. Same effect, though.

I am 71, retired for 2 years and started receiving my ss at my full eligibility age of 65 and 1/2 ( I believe). My wife still works and turns 66 next month (3/3/51). Which is her full retirement age. We want her to file for Spousal Benefits. The question is: 1/2 of my benefits is slightly lower than what she is currently eligible for if she filed under her work history, can we chose
the spousal benefit or will they require her to file under her own rather then waiting?

Hi,

My wife is now 65 and has been collecting her social security since age 62. She gets less than $800 per month.
I am planning to collect my Social Security when I reach 62 which will be at the amount of $2000 per month. Can my wife collect half of mine at $1000 per month at that time instead of the $800 which will be at the end of 2017 or beginning of 2018. Since I was born in 55 my normal retirement age is not until 66 and 10 months.

Hi,

Hello...I will be applying for my social security in about 6 wks. I turn 62 on 6/23/17. I'm registered with an account on the SocialSecurity.gov website and learned my monthly check will be $973 a month. I'm healthy and want and have to continue working throughout my 60's at least but I need the extra money the SSI will provide now to get my head above water completely. Deciding to take my SSI early is my decision to have more money to fall back on every month and also to hopefully put some of it into something worthwhile.

When you provide your opinion about when people should take SS, do you factor in at all the fact that the pot will run dry and that at some point Congress may cut benefits? I am fearful of this happening and am wondering if it is not better to file sooner than later, even though my monthly checks will be smaller, just in order to be "grandfathered" in to the system. What are your thoughts about this? Thanks for all your advice!!!!

Hi,

Hi Larry,

I INTEND TO CONTINUE TO WORK AFTER AGE 66 WHICH IF MY FULL RETIREMENT AGE TO COLLECT BENEIFTS. MY HUSBAND IS NOW COLLECTING FULL SOCIAL SECURITY BENEFITS. CAN I CONTINUE WORKING COLLECT HALF OF HIS SOCIAL SECURITY BENEFITS AND
HOLD OFF TILL 70 TO COLLECT MY OWN.

Hi,

Dear Larry,
I am 64 years old and began collecting benefits at 62. My wife is 63 years old and plans to wait until at least 66 to collect spousal benefits (i.e. 50% of what I would have collected at 66 years old). This much we understand.

My husband is 62 and worked for "free" at his Mothers bar for 35 years. So he has no social security credits. I am 56 and have worked my whole life. We have 2 children under 16 and my husband has a pacemaker, is deaf in one ear and just had hip replacement surgery. Should he file? Or do we wait until I am 65/67?

Hi,

I'm sorry to hear about your husband's health problems.