Join Early Retirement Today
Reply
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
Stop & Restart SS??
Old 09-28-2015, 09:12 AM   #1
Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
 
Join Date: Jul 2002
Posts: 1,581
Stop & Restart SS??

Currently, I'm receiving SS (started at age 63) and my minor son is also receiving monthly benefits. His benefits stop when he graduates HS. At that point, I'll be 67 (my FRA is 66).

Is it possible or advantageous to suspend my benefits at that time and restart benefits at 70? Spousal benefits are not an issue as my wife is much younger and benefits under her own record are much greater than anything she would be entitled to under my work record (WEP impacted) and we can easily live without the SS benefit. Primary reason I took SS is for the family benefit for minor children and the fact that we aren't dealing with significant amounts (about $400 a month).

Thanks in advance for comments.
RE2Boys is online now   Reply With Quote
Join the #1 Early Retirement and Financial Independence Forum Today - It's Totally Free!

Are you planning to be financially independent as early as possible so you can live life on your own terms? Discuss successful investing strategies, asset allocation models, tax strategies and other related topics in our online forum community. Our members range from young folks just starting their journey to financial independence, military retirees and even multimillionaires. No matter where you fit in you'll find that Early-Retirement.org is a great community to join. Best of all it's totally FREE!

You are currently viewing our boards as a guest so you have limited access to our community. Please take the time to register and you will gain a lot of great new features including; the ability to participate in discussions, network with our members, see fewer ads, upload photographs, create a retirement blog, send private messages and so much, much more!

Old 09-28-2015, 09:52 AM   #2
Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso)
Give me a forum ...
 
Join Date: Dec 2014
Location: Huntsville, AL/Helen, GA
Posts: 6,002
No, you cannot stop SS when you've been drawing it over a year. You could stop it and pay the money back in the first year.
Bamaman is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-28-2015, 10:04 AM   #3
Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
 
Join Date: Jul 2002
Posts: 1,581
Well, I found part of my answer here:
Retirement Planner: Suspending Retirement Benefit Payments

I can suspend benefits ( and restart later) as long as I am over FRA, which would be the case. Now to research if beneficial in any way.
RE2Boys is online now   Reply With Quote
Old 09-28-2015, 10:09 AM   #4
Administrator
MichaelB's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: Chicagoland
Posts: 40,581
From the link
Quote:
If you started receiving Social Security benefits less than 12 months ago and you changed your mind about when they should start, you may be able to withdraw your Social Security claim and re-apply at a future date.
MichaelB is online now   Reply With Quote
Old 09-28-2015, 10:22 AM   #5
Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
 
Join Date: Jul 2002
Posts: 1,581
Quote:
Originally Posted by MichaelB View Post
From the link
Unfortunately, started SS benefits about two years ago, should have mentioned that.
RE2Boys is online now   Reply With Quote
Old 09-28-2015, 10:29 AM   #6
Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
 
Join Date: Jul 2002
Posts: 1,581
According to Larry Kotlikoff , my question is his number one SS Secret, so got my answer. The 8% per year increase is SS benefit for delayed retirement would be applied to my reduced benefit that I took early, age 63. So in my scenario, I would give up about 30 months of checks for a lifetime increase in SS of about 20% commencing at age 70

Based on : 34 Social Security Secrets You Need to Know Now
RE2Boys is online now   Reply With Quote
Old 09-28-2015, 10:33 AM   #7
Administrator
MichaelB's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: Chicagoland
Posts: 40,581
From the link
Quote:
If you are already collecting your retirement benefit and are at or over full retirement age, you can tell Social Security you want to suspend further benefits and then ask them to restart your benefits at a later date, say age 70. Social Security will then apply its Delayed Retirement Credit to your existing benefit once you start collecting again.
RE2B, have you reached full retirement age? From your posts it seems as if you still had a bit to go.
MichaelB is online now   Reply With Quote
Old 09-28-2015, 10:54 AM   #8
Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
 
Join Date: Jul 2002
Posts: 1,581
Quote:
Originally Posted by MichaelB View Post
From the link

RE2B, have you reached full retirement age? From your posts it seems as if you still had a bit to go.
Not quite, will hit it in 3 months. Would not suspend until youngest out of HS in June 2017. Just planning ahead on a rainy day.
RE2Boys is online now   Reply With Quote
Old 09-28-2015, 05:51 PM   #9
Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso)
Give me a forum ...
pb4uski's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2010
Location: Sarasota, FL & Vermont
Posts: 36,263
What you are considering sounds smart to me if you are in good health and have other funds to live on from when you suspend benefits until you turn 70.
__________________
If something cannot endure laughter.... it cannot endure.
Patience is the art of concealing your impatience.
Slow and steady wins the race.

Retired Jan 2012 at age 56
pb4uski is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-28-2015, 07:42 PM   #10
Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
NYEXPAT's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2009
Location: Miraflores,Peru
Posts: 1,992
I plan on doing the same thing (collecting at 62 and stopping at 66) although my two young children (10 and 6 mos) will continue to collect their benefit the whole time. If you do not need the money now, I would suggest you stop at 66 and get the 8% increase for an additional year.
NYEXPAT is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-28-2015, 07:52 PM   #11
Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso)
Give me a forum ...
harley's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2008
Location: No fixed abode
Posts: 8,764
Quote:
Originally Posted by NYEXPAT View Post
I plan on doing the same thing (collecting at 62 and stopping at 66) although my two young children (10 and 6 mos) will continue to collect their benefit the whole time. If you do not need the money now, I would suggest you stop at 66 and get the 8% increase for an additional year.
AFAIK you can't do that. That was possible until a couple of years ago, but after the gimmick got publicized (mostly by John Greaney) the gov't changed the rules so you can only suspend within 1 year of starting. I believe Haha was the last person in the country to get in under the old rules.
__________________
"Good judgment comes from experience. Experience comes from bad judgement." - Anonymous (not Will Rogers or Sam Clemens)
DW and I - FIREd at 50 (7/06), living off assets
harley is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-28-2015, 08:15 PM   #12
Recycles dryer sheets
 
Join Date: Jan 2015
Posts: 81
You can suspend benefits and your auxiliaries will continue to Receive their benefits. So you can suspend at FRA and your child will continue to get monthly benefits


Sent from my iPhone using Early Retirement Forum
nate2953 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-28-2015, 08:25 PM   #13
Recycles dryer sheets
 
Join Date: Dec 2013
Posts: 390
Quote:
Originally Posted by harley View Post
AFAIK you can't do that. That was possible until a couple of years ago, but after the gimmick got publicized (mostly by John Greaney) the gov't changed the rules so you can only suspend within 1 year of starting. I believe Haha was the last person in the country to get in under the old rules.
Harley, what you are referring to is; "withdrawing your Social Security claim", and then re-apply at a future date.

This is "suspending your claim", allowing you to accrue delayed retirement credits until you request to start again or reach 70. Might come in handy during a bear market if needed to get through a rough patch.

Retirement Planner: Suspending Retirement Benefit Payments
springnr is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-28-2015, 08:36 PM   #14
Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso)
Give me a forum ...
harley's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2008
Location: No fixed abode
Posts: 8,764
So you can start taking your SS at 62, then suspend when you are 66(ish) and you will get additional credits until you are 70? Is that adding 8%/yr to the amount you were getting at 62? Or does it reset completely and allow you to get the max possible at 70? I read the link, but I don't see how that could work.
__________________
"Good judgment comes from experience. Experience comes from bad judgement." - Anonymous (not Will Rogers or Sam Clemens)
DW and I - FIREd at 50 (7/06), living off assets
harley is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-28-2015, 08:41 PM   #15
Recycles dryer sheets
 
Join Date: Dec 2013
Posts: 390
The delayed credits are then added to the reduced amount from starting at 62. So at 70 it would be restarted at an amount comparable to if you had waited until ~66/67 to start.
(SS at 62 = .7542 + .32 delayed = 1.0742)
(SS at 64 = .8667 + .32 delayed = 1.1867)
springnr is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-28-2015, 08:49 PM   #16
Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso)
Give me a forum ...
harley's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2008
Location: No fixed abode
Posts: 8,764
Interesting. I just read Larry Kotlikoff's "Get What's Yours", but I didn't pay that much attention to the other options beyond what we need to do. It's a tricky subject.
__________________
"Good judgment comes from experience. Experience comes from bad judgement." - Anonymous (not Will Rogers or Sam Clemens)
DW and I - FIREd at 50 (7/06), living off assets
harley is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-29-2015, 07:47 AM   #17
Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
 
Join Date: Jul 2002
Posts: 1,581
Quote:
Originally Posted by NYEXPAT View Post
I plan on doing the same thing (collecting at 62 and stopping at 66) although my two young children (10 and 6 mos) will continue to collect their benefit the whole time. If you do not need the money now, I would suggest you stop at 66 and get the 8% increase for an additional year.
I hadn't thought of that.......kept thinking that once I suspend the child's benefit would stop so was thinking of continue to collect mine until he was no longer eligible. But if I can suspend at 66 and he can continue collecting, then it would be better to suspend at 66 (three months from now). It would give me more room to continue Roth conversions at the 15% tax bracket. But will need to look at break even as my wife will always collect more under her own record than any benefit from my SS......spousal longevity insurance based on my benefit not relevant.

In the big picture, it may not be worthwhile to suspend, but it is good to know what my options are.
RE2Boys is online now   Reply With Quote
Old 09-29-2015, 08:10 AM   #18
Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
growing_older's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2007
Posts: 2,657
Answers are all over because there are two strategies being discussed.

1. Stop SS. Withdraw your application. Pay back all the benefits you received and re-apply at the later age for the increased benefits accrued. This is no longer allowed after the first year, so doesn't apply in your case.

2. Suspend SS benefits you are receiving. Wait for delayed benefit credits to accumulate, then restart SS benefits at an increased rate (about 8% per year delayed, not compounded). This is tricky and requires some actions to happen only after FRA. This is probably what you are looking for.
growing_older is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-29-2015, 08:17 AM   #19
Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
NYEXPAT's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2009
Location: Miraflores,Peru
Posts: 1,992
It seems many here confuse File and Suspend with Start,Stop,Start and it is understandable as most do not plan to use the second strategy.

In my case, the spouse is a non US citizen (28 years my junior) as well as two sons 10 and 6 mos. I designed this strategy, to maximize benefits in the early years, while providing a good survivor benefit to my spouse who would never qualify on her own.
NYEXPAT is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-29-2015, 10:41 AM   #20
Moderator
rodi's Avatar
 
Join Date: Apr 2012
Location: San Diego
Posts: 14,169
I am learning so much from this thread. My husband (and sons) are collecting. But if he can suspend at FRA (66) and the kids could still collect, that would be awesome. We'll have to see where we are, financially, but all of this is good to know about. Reason #374 why I like ER.org.
__________________
Retired June 2014. No longer an enginerd - now I'm just a nerd.
micro pensions 6%, rental income 20%
rodi is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply


Currently Active Users Viewing This Thread: 1 (0 members and 1 guests)
 
Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Trackbacks are Off
Pingbacks are Off
Refbacks are Off


Similar Threads
Thread Thread Starter Forum Replies Last Post
Noticed more people holding signs "need work or food" rayinpenn Other topics 3 05-03-2015 02:51 PM
Stop Stop Scrounging for Income and Sell Some Stocks clifp FIRE and Money 88 12-27-2013 07:17 AM
Govt to restart selling 30 year treasuries cute fuzzy bunny FIRE and Money 16 05-04-2005 07:52 PM
Restart salary after 10 years? John Galt FIRE and Money 13 02-20-2005 04:16 PM

» Quick Links

 
All times are GMT -6. The time now is 05:44 AM.
 
Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.8 Beta 1
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.