Sunset
Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
The rule on survivorship SS, is not all that easily found, they give example of early taking of SS, but seem to neglect to tell folks delaying doesn't count.
So if I take SS at FRA or delay to age 70, my surviving spouse gets the same either way (assuming her's was less) survivor SS.
This makes it a little tricky because if I delay and say die at age 75, it would have been better to take it at FRA.
My original plan had been to delay to 70 as larger benefit, don't need it right away, and it would leave the max in survivorship, but that last one is false.
Thankfully I have a few years to decide and learn.
This is not my understanding at all. If I died at 72, having started my benefit at 70, my surviving wife would get the benefit I was receiving (reduced by a factor if she was below FRA for this benefit) This Forbes article explains it well:
Forbes Welcome
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I'm happy to realize I didn't understand it. Which I blame on the SS site, as it only talks about FRA and early SS reduced benefits, but totally ignores the Delayed Retirement Credit benefit for survivor spouses.
Once again forum members have the answers