I was worried that I'd have to return dad's Social Security check that he received in the first week of January, because he died on the 16th of January. I called Social Security to find out, and they said that because Social Security is always paid one month "late" (i.e, January's heck arrives in February) that I didn't have to return the January check, but if one had arrived in February I'd have had to return it. Because I'd called them and notified them - and so, apparently, did the funeral home) I didn't have to return anything.
Poll: When Did You/Are You Planning to Start Soc Sec?
- Thread starter Midpack
- Start date
I always looked at it that if you didn't need the money - consider taking it early, but if you thought you might - consider waiting. We took at 62.
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steelyman
Moderator Emeritus
My SS will be greatly reduced due to WEP so I’m waiting till FRA.
Im 59. My husband passed unexpectedly in 2015. I think Im going to start collecting at 60. I believe I can collect a percentage of his at 60 and switch to my own, if it is more, at 62, 67 or 70. I really dont see myself living to 70 with this anxiety.
harllee
Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
Oh Joy I am so sorry about what you are going through. Sounds like a good plan to collect your husband's SS at 60 and delay yours. Do you have the numbers from SS about what you will receive at various ages? I am so sorry about your anxiety. Can you get any help for that? Can we help you on any way here in this Forum?
jfn111
Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
The wife started collecting hers at 62. Since I'm enjoying my second career selling real estate I will wait until full retirement age of 66 and 5 months.
We don't need the money but after to many years of drinking and smoking I don't have any illusions about living to 100.
We don't need the money but after to many years of drinking and smoking I don't have any illusions about living to 100.
Aw thanks, Harllee,
I have asked SS for the numbers, to no avail. I have to be more persistent.
I’ve asked for advise about $ on here with some very, very helpful answers.
I’m really afraid to pull the trigger on any investing, because I like
Immediate access to my $. It’s just me and I’m afraid of not doing the right
thing. Therefore, it just sits in my Savings account.
It’s just me and I don’t need much of anything.
I have asked SS for the numbers, to no avail. I have to be more persistent.
I’ve asked for advise about $ on here with some very, very helpful answers.
I’m really afraid to pull the trigger on any investing, because I like
Immediate access to my $. It’s just me and I’m afraid of not doing the right
thing. Therefore, it just sits in my Savings account.
It’s just me and I don’t need much of anything.
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Have you tried creating an on-line account with Social Security? You can get a benefit estimate on-line if you do (although I only needed to get one for myself, not as a survivor, so it might be more complicated). Here is the place to start https://secure.ssa.gov/RIL/SiView.action
Yes, I have a MySocialSecurity account, but because my husband is deceased, they won’t discuss until they can
confirm my and his identity. I’ve asked them via phone to mail me his $ info about how much I’d receive, but they never sent
anything.
That reminds me - I’ll be on the horn to them tomorrow again.
Thank you! ����
confirm my and his identity. I’ve asked them via phone to mail me his $ info about how much I’d receive, but they never sent
anything.
That reminds me - I’ll be on the horn to them tomorrow again.
Thank you! ����
skyking1
Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
Best of luck Joyjoy. It seems that not being able to stand at a window and then have a sit-down has greatly complicated things with Social Security.
harllee
Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
Joy I had a hassle once with SS and I got my local Congressman involved and he helped me get it straightened out so if SS stonewalls you contact your Federal Congressman.
vrijheid
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Hi Joyjoy!
I’m so sorry about the loss of your spouse. I’m also a widow, my husband passed in 2009 when he was 52. I understand exactly what you are going through. You may know all of this already but here goes....from what Social Security has told me....call your LOCAL SS office and explain that you want a phone interview to discuss taking SS at age 60. They will ask a few questions to determine eligibility and then they will send you a letter which will spell out the exact date and time of the phone call and the documents to have with you to confirm your identity and that of your husband. IE: social security numbers, dates of birth, date and location of marriage, date he passed, if he had started taking his ss benefit, etc.
They will not send the DH official benefit statement and you cannot access it online. However they did send me a list that stated what benefit of his I would receive from my age 60 (his reduced benefit) through my age 66 (his full benefit amount).
I had a very nice conversation with the man from the SS office. He went through the scenario if I took my reduced benefit first at age 62 and let my DH benefit continue to grow and take at age 66. He also went through the scenario of taking my husband’s reduced benefit at age 60 and the long term consequences of that plan.
I understand how difficult this is. Make a list of questions to ask. Look through some Social Security books and scan through the topic on here and Bogelheads. Make sure your finances are in order, know your expenses and your income. Don’t make a decision until you have all your questions answered. Most topics concerning Social Security benefits center around couples and when to take the benefits to maximize for couples....it’s a little more difficult to find conversations about widows benefits.
A day at a time, my dear. Hugs!
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daylatedollarshort
Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
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We took our pensions at 55 as annuities and SS at 62. Combined they cover all our essential expenses and most discretionary expenses. We try to live well on about half of what we could if we added in savings and retirement accounts. Plus, as I have posted in other threads, most years I find ways to make a fair bit extra in freebies, discounts, contests, credit card games, rewards programs, etc. as a side hobby. We have relatively low overhead in a very HCOL, partly through optimizing expenses / my hobbies and some through dumb luck like Prop 13 keeping our property taxes low, lifetime utility discounts from a former job perk, buying a house before the local real estate market went insane, $2 a month ACA plan and our kids getting 100% grants for college. I still enjoy buying gourmet mushrooms at 99 Cents Only for $4 a pound instead of the local Whole Foods for $16 a pound and investing the difference. Or getting my music free through Freegal from the library instead of paying Spotify a monthly fee.
We like having the diversified income sources between pensions, SS and investments and my hobby / expense optimizing income. By taking our pensions and SS early if we die early our adult kids will have more money in our estate when they are likely to need it more to buy homes or raise kids. We ran the numbers on what ages to take SS and pensions in my retirement spreadsheet with all different inflation and investments rates and decided early worked best for us.
We like having the diversified income sources between pensions, SS and investments and my hobby / expense optimizing income. By taking our pensions and SS early if we die early our adult kids will have more money in our estate when they are likely to need it more to buy homes or raise kids. We ran the numbers on what ages to take SS and pensions in my retirement spreadsheet with all different inflation and investments rates and decided early worked best for us.
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Calico
Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
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vrijheid
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harllee
Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
Joy please ask on this Forum for help on anything. There are lots of smart, good folks here and you will get good advice.
socaldonnan
Recycles dryer sheets
Retired at 62 with a buy out and pension (2014) 6-1/2 years ago from local school district. DH also had a buy out same time and retired a few months after me. The following year I took my social security when I was 63 (2015) and DH took his at 66. I decided I wasn’t paying into it any more and though I have longevity in my family and I’m pretty healthy I decided to go ahead and claim. Just decided I didn’t want to wait.
At 57 its a ways off yet... Ill start drawing my retirement in January, wife still has a few more years before she cant retire... Our plan is to put it off a few years past 62 for a bigger check....and use our 401K money if needed
My FRA is 66 and 2 months. I always planned on starting my SS at 65 when Medicare started.
Then I had a few years with some health issues and the last of our parents died and while I certainly wasn't feeling like the end was near, I was feeling less immortal. So I started at 64. We were on Obamacare that year and the SS counted toward MAGI but our HSA contribution offset that.
I was a SAHM most of my adulthood and worked a very part time job (specifically to finish my SS credits) once our kids were in college so my SS is not large, $700/mo. DH has a COLAed pension that supports us comfortably so I don't need the SS money. And I am a natural SAVER so this money is the gravy. And that feels good! I have saved all of it except the first payment which I used to buy a nice set of patio furniture for the deck. Just proving that I could SPEND it!
DH is subject to GPO so he won't get anything off of my SS. But he'll benefit from me saving and investing it.
It sure is nice to get paid every month, because I earned this!
Then I had a few years with some health issues and the last of our parents died and while I certainly wasn't feeling like the end was near, I was feeling less immortal. So I started at 64. We were on Obamacare that year and the SS counted toward MAGI but our HSA contribution offset that.
I was a SAHM most of my adulthood and worked a very part time job (specifically to finish my SS credits) once our kids were in college so my SS is not large, $700/mo. DH has a COLAed pension that supports us comfortably so I don't need the SS money. And I am a natural SAVER so this money is the gravy. And that feels good! I have saved all of it except the first payment which I used to buy a nice set of patio furniture for the deck. Just proving that I could SPEND it!
DH is subject to GPO so he won't get anything off of my SS. But he'll benefit from me saving and investing it.
It sure is nice to get paid every month, because I earned this!
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ncbill
Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
Probably both of us at FRA, age 67.
I ran the above through MaxiFi...the "maximized" plan had us taking it at age 70 instead but doing that only increases the lifetime benefit over 30 years (36 years for DW) by around $50,000 total (nominal)...because of years we both spent out of the workforce we will have comparatively little SS Retirement income, even combined.
I ran the above through MaxiFi...the "maximized" plan had us taking it at age 70 instead but doing that only increases the lifetime benefit over 30 years (36 years for DW) by around $50,000 total (nominal)...because of years we both spent out of the workforce we will have comparatively little SS Retirement income, even combined.
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