Q & A
Ask Rusty – When Should I Claim My Survivor Benefit?
Dear Rusty: My wife passed away in 2014. I’m 60 years old and have been retired since August 2020. I know I’m entitled to survivor benefits, but my question relates to when to file for them. To say the information…
Ask Rusty – Why Can’t I Get Survivor Benefits from My Husband?
Dear Rusty: My husband and I were only married 5 years before he passed away from cancer. I am 61 and was told by SS that I don’t qualify to receive his survivor benefits because we weren’t married long enough,…
Ask Rusty – Can I Get a Higher Benefit Now Because I’m Older?
Dear Rusty: I started getting Social Security at age 62 and I am now 77. Can I get a higher benefit now that I’m older? Signed: Needy Senior Dear Needy Senior: Probably not. When you first start collecting your Social…
Ask Rusty – Why Did Social Security Ask My Mother This Question?
Dear Rusty: When my father passed away and we went to update my mother’s Social Security benefits, a question arose that I was confused by. We were asked “Do you want to claim just your father’s benefit (which was larger)…
Ask Rusty – Will My UK Pension Affect My US Social Security?
Dear Rusty: I am 57 years old, was born in the UK, and since 1988 have worked in the US. I have always paid US taxes and Social Security. For the last 20 years, my annual income has typically been…
Ask Rusty – Will My Retirement Benefits Be Cut Because of My State Pension?
Dear Rusty: I took early retirement at 20 years from the Louisiana public school system in 1996. Since then, I have continued to work in private schools (except for 2 years in public). I now have over 20 years in…
Ask Rusty – Should My Wife Wait Until Age 70 to Claim?
Dear Rusty: I’m 74 and receiving my Social Security benefits. My wife is 68 and we are delaying her benefits until she’s 70. But I read an article about a wife receiving half of her husband’s benefit, which makes me…
Ask Rusty – Will Applying for SS Disability Hurt SS Retirement Benefit?
Dear Rusty: My husband turns 65 later this month. He has started having health issues – so much so that we are thinking about talking to his doctor about Social Security Disability. How would this affect him in applying for…
Ask Rusty – When Is the Best Time to Claim Social Security?
Dear Rusty: I will be 64 in May of this year, and I’d like to know the best time to claim Social Security. Signed: Anxious to Retire Dear Anxious: First, please understand that there is no one “best time” to…
Ask Rusty – My Social Security Card Is Incorrect – What Should I Do?
Dear Rusty: My sister and I have the same first and last names but are distinguished by our “middle” names. Our last name consists of two family names, which gives us both four, with only our middle names unique. We…