spousal benefits
Spousal Benefits and the Impact of Changes in Marital Status
As if Social Security rules were not complex enough, there’s a segment of the rulebook that makes the basic spousal benefit segment even more complicated. Some of the intricacies could reduce benefits in certain circumstances, and others could eliminate them.…
Ask Rusty – My Wife Believes She Can Get a Spouse Benefit While I’m Still Alive; Can She?
Dear Rusty: A friend of my wife told her, and she believes, she could receive a Social Security benefit based on my SS benefit that I’m currently receiving while I’m still alive. I told her she could only receive spouse…
Retirement Security for Couples
We encourage Americans to focus on saving for their co-called “golden years.” Saving for retirement is, of course, important, but equally important is how Social Security income fits into each couple’s retirement future. After all, statistics show that, savings aside,…
Average Spousal Benefit in 2026
Approximately 1.9 million spouses and ex-spouses currently receive a spousal benefit, according to an article written by David Mania. A spouse receives a spousal benefit when 50% of their higher-earning spouse’s full retirement age (FRA) benefits are more than 100%…
Are You Eligible for a Spousal Benefit?
Even if you never worked, if you are married or were married at least 10 years, you could qualify for benefits based on your spouse’s record. You can get a spousal benefit equal to 50% of your spouse’s full retirement…
Ask Rusty – Can I Claim My Own SS Benefit Now and Get Half of My Husband’s Benefit Later?
Dear Rusty: I would like to get an answer concerning taking my Social Security benefit soon and switching to my spouse’s benefit when he begins to take his. I am 64 years, 9 months old and my husband is 65…
Non-Working Spouses and Social Security
If you are currently married, or an ex-spouse who was married for at least ten years, you can get a spousal benefit whether you worked or not. If you were a stay-at-home spouse who stayed home and took care of…
Critical Details to Know About Spousal Benefits
Anyone approaching Social Security eligibility faces several key decision points, most of which have long-term implications for their later years. Couples reaching this stage have a specific set of parameters they need to understand clearly, from determining eligibility to assessing…
Ask Rusty – About Social Security Benefits for Someone with Multiple Ex-spouses
Dear Rusty: If a financially well-off individual had multiple ex-spouses, could it happen that the multiple ex-spouses could each be collecting Social Security based on their own financial situation as compared to their rich ex-spouses? Thus, multiple payouts by SS?…
Social Security Spousal Benefit Nuances: The Older Wife
The Social Security rulebook is pretty complex, and this complexity becomes obvious when one dives into the murky world of spousal benefits. In a post morningstar.com post by, columnist Beth Pinsker examines a situation in which a non-working spouse is…