I plan to continue practicing until I'm 70 and then begin taking SS. I have 2 questions- 1) assuming that I die before my wife, does she receive what i get from SS at age 70, or does this amount get reduced to what i should have received at age 66 and 2) when my wife, who is 6 years younger then me, reaches her full retirement age, does she receive 1/2 of what I get because I waited until age 70? Thank you for the assist!

Hi,

The answer to question 1 is yes, if you wait until age 70 to start drawing, your wife would receive your full benefit including delayed retirement credits as a widow. However, if she started drawing as a widow before her full retirement age (FRA), her benefit would be reduced for age.

The answer to number 2 is no. If your wife files for spousal benefits at FRA or later, she would only be eligible for 1/2 of your full retirement age benefit (PIA), regardless of when you start drawing your benefits.

In both cases above, if your wife is also entitled to benefits on her own account, she would receive only the higher amount.

Best, Jerry