I turn 66 12/16/2016 when should I apply for ss benefit So I can receive benefitsI plan to continue working as well. Does December count as one of three months?

Hi,

If you want to start at full retirement age, you should elect December 2016 as your month of entitlement. Social Security makes their payments for December in January, and since you were born in the middle 10 days of the month, you will receive your payments on the 3rd Wednesday of each month.

Question about the "Free Spousal/Restricted" benefit? I turned 66 last April (2016) and applied for my full social security benefit. I am currently receiving a monthly check. My wife is turning 66 this November and will be applying for social security within the next couple of days. If my wife claims the Free Spousal benefit and defers her social security dollars until 70..... does she have the option of taking her social security benefit prior to the age of 70... if she decides not to wait until 70 (assuming that she would give up the spousal benefit at that time).

I am 64 in 2016 and married more than 10 years. Will I still be able to claim my own Social Security benefits when I am 66 and switch to my husband's at age 69 when he turns 66.

Hi,

Well, not exactly. You could start your own benefit at 66, which is your full retirement age, then file for an excess spousal benefit whenever your husband applies. The resulting total benefit would the higher of your own benefit amount, or one-half of your husband's full retirement age benefit.

My company is downsizing, and I am forced to take early retirement. I turned 65 ('51) in June 2016, but my wife will only be 62 ('54) in Nov 2016. She never earned enough credits as she was a stay at home mom, then had a disability which even kept her from earning enough credits to file on disability, so we've been a one income family all these years. What would be our best filing strategy, as this is so confusing? Thanks.

Hi,

Hi Larry,

1) I was married for over ten years and then divorced.
2) My ex-wife is 63, has applied for and received a social security disability.
3) The ruling was in July of this year.
4) I am 65 and will turn 66 in January of 2017.
5) I would like to receive divorced spousal benefits until I'm 70 and then draw on my own account.

Can I draw on my ex-wife's divorced spousal benefits until I'm 70?
If the answer is yes, when can I start drawing it?

Hi,

I will be 70 next year and have been taking my SS Benefits since I was 62, My wife turns 60 this month. Her FRA SS Benefits at 66 are larger than what i'm currently receiving. We don't need the income now but what strategy should we use to maximize going forward benefits for both of us/her? Is she entitled to spousal benefits that would not impact her benefits when the reaches 66 or 70. I'll be glad to purchase your software to get to the $$ specifics but I just need some guidance on what approach to take, so i don't leave any money on the table we're entitled to. Thank you.

Ex husband dob=5-27-1950. My dob= 9-8-52. Social security representative informs me I may start taking my 50% benefit from my ex spouse's earnings now at age 64 AND I may continue to let my own SS benefit grow till age 70. The SS web site states in order to do this I must wait till FRA of 66. I am concerned I have been given bad info...should I proceed? Thanks for your help.

Hi,

My husband just turned 66 and I will be 63 in November. I retired early and started receiving SS when I turned 62. Now that my husband turned 66, can he apply and suspend his SS while applying for spousal SS on my account? He is still working and plans to work for about 3 1/2 more years. Thank you.

Hi,

No, your husband should not file and suspend on his own record. If he does, it will prevent him from receiving a spousal benefit on your account.

Greetings,

I turned 66 on 6/23/2016 and received my first SS check ($2155) on July 27,2016. My wife turns 62 on 9/11/2016 and she has worked sporadically over the past 45 yrs. She will be entitled to approx. 655 / month of earned benefits if she applies at age 62. (estimated $885 at FRA) She will be deemed to be filing for her spousal benefit as well ($1077 @ FRA)

My questions are these:

1. Could I expect to receive an added spousal benefit if I apply for it after a determination has been reached on her application, which would be submitted now?

My wife and I are 3 years and 5 months apart in age -- she was born in 1953 and is now 63, and I was born in 1949 and am now 66. Neither of us are currently receiving social security. How can we maximize our social security benefits in light of the new rules (we own the 1st edition of your book and our public library has the revised edition). Thank you.

Hi,