Social Security Spousal Benefits: How they are computed
The spousal benefit and how it is computed is clearly one of the most confusing and misunderstood aspects of the Social Security program. Many people think that a spouse simply gets 50% of the other spouse’s benefit amount, but it’s much more complicated than that. That 50% is the spouse benefit only if the spouse has reached their full retirement age when it starts; otherwise it is reduced to something less. And how much less depends upon how far in advance of full retirement age it is claimed. In this Forbes article by Tom R. Hager, the author explains the rules to qualify for spousal benefits as well as the intricate details of how such benefits are computed. Click here to read more.