I am trying to study up on drawing social security. I think these should be easy questions to answer, but I am having trouble understanding the wording of online explanations of how a persons spousal benefit is determined. All the descriptions I have seen on this topic are in terms of "spouse" or "worker" and I am not exactly clear on which spouse or worker they are referring to.
I worked while my wife was mostly a stay at home mother, so my social security benefit will be a good bit larger than hers. So she should claim a benefit that is as much as one-half of my benefit.
Assume I claim at 62, and she waits until her full retirement age to claim. Does she get a full one half of my full retirement age benefit, or is her benefit reduced since I claimed early?
I believe I read somewhere that if I delay until age 70, she still only gets one-half of my full retirement age benefit, not one half of the age 70 amount. True?
Also, if I die before her, does my wife get my benefit as well as hers, or just my benefit. And for my benefit, is it the full retirement benefit, or the amount I was withdrawing when I died?
Thanks in advance for the responses.
I worked while my wife was mostly a stay at home mother, so my social security benefit will be a good bit larger than hers. So she should claim a benefit that is as much as one-half of my benefit.
Assume I claim at 62, and she waits until her full retirement age to claim. Does she get a full one half of my full retirement age benefit, or is her benefit reduced since I claimed early?
I believe I read somewhere that if I delay until age 70, she still only gets one-half of my full retirement age benefit, not one half of the age 70 amount. True?
Also, if I die before her, does my wife get my benefit as well as hers, or just my benefit. And for my benefit, is it the full retirement benefit, or the amount I was withdrawing when I died?
Thanks in advance for the responses.