I am a widow I never earned more than $20,000 a year and many years I didn't earn anything cause I was raising my kids. I was 44 when he passed in 2005 and left me with a lot of debt I didn't know about, do I claim my widows benefit when I turn 60 and just keep working? Right now I make about $15.800 a year.

I have paid the maximum in SS taxes every year for the past 39 years. My wife has earned 40 credits or quarters of earnings and qualifies for about $400 per month starting now at age 62. Should she start taking a benefit now? We don't need the money. Will it reduce her spousal benefit later if she takes now. I plan on waiting as long as I can, 70 if possible, in 8 more years. Thanks

I am 60 and married to my wife Traci, who is 62. Traci is a homemaker, and not qualified for her own social security, while I'm fully qualified. We can afford to wait as long as we can to claim the benefits. So, what is the best strategy for us to maximize our social security benefits?

Thanks in advance,
Al

I am 60 and earn $135,000/year. My work history is excellent spanning 40 years. I have $500,000 in savings. My husband, also 60 has no savings and has not been able to work at his previous $55,000/yr job due to medical constraints for the past 6 years. He has since begun working a mimimum wage job in order to contribute what he can. However he has recently undergone surgery for a chronic condition and is not working and will not be able to return to work for a minimum of 6 months if at all.

Wife and I will both be 65 in 2017...we are about 6 months apart. I have been the higher wage earner. Our plan is for my wife to file at 66 FRA and for me to file for a spousal benefit at the same time while letting my benefit grow till age 70. Does that situation seem plausible to you or am I missing something ?

I am 62, my wife is 66 and filed for benefits on her record at age 62. Can I collect spousal benefits on her record (at reduced rate)
while waiting to turn 66 myself, thus avoiding a 25% decrease in my benefits by collecting early. Does this strategy, if available, have
any impact on me applying for benefits later.

Thank you.

I am 58, and my husband died in 2007 at the age of 54. My plan is to continue to work full time even into my 70s in my present field of IT management. At some point it would be great to retire from that full time position. If I understand the rules, I will not be able to receive benefits from my husband's account when I am 60 due to the 'earnings limit.' If at 66.8, my FRA, I am still working full time and still over that 'earnings limit', what are my options related to his account and do those options change when I am 70/70.5? Thank you!

Hi,

I am turning 62 next week. My husband died in April at age 68. We have both been decent earners since our 20's. He was a relatively high earner compared to me. Neither of us took Social Security benefits. (I believe he was waiting till age 70 -- is there a way to verify? A line on our taxes, e.g.?) My husband had cancer for the past two years and I limited my earnings to care for him. My income is now zero and it just occurred to me I might be eligible for a SS benefit of my own and/or a widow's benefit. I am healthy and intending to return to work.

I am 61 years old. I was widowed at 43 - my late husband was 46 and never filed for social security. I remarried at 49. That marriage ended in divorce last year. Can I collect my own early (62) social security benefit and then at my full retirement age (66) switch to my late husband's full benefit?

Hi,

I was born in August 1951, FRA is next August (2017) - at that time I can access spousal benefits of about $700/month OR I could file to get my own about $1500/month. I plan to continue working as long as I can to further add to my retirement funds and not use my ss money. Wouldn't it be better to take my own since it would not be subject to earnings clawback? Even considering that the cash would be reduced by taxes imposed?

Hi,