spousal benefits
Social Security: If this is your year to claim, read this!
There are some very basic–and very important–fundamentals anyone on the cusp of claiming their Social Security benefits should know. For example, where you stand chronologically compared to your full retirement age is a key to what your monthly benefit payment…
How an Ex-Spouse’s Work Record can Influence One’s Benefit Amount
The Social Security rules on spousal benefits in a divorce situation can seem a bit complex, but the basic premise is that divorced spouses can receive a benefit based on their ex-spouses’ work record. And if the ex-spouses’ work record…
Qualifying for Spousal Benefits in a Divorce Situation
The rules surrounding the availability of Social Security benefits for divorced spouses can seem a bit daunting at first look. In a nj.com article by Karin Price Mueller, the set of parameters applied to benefit eligibility for a divorced spouse–in…
Social Security goes beyond simple payouts to workers
Almost 70 million people, or more than 1 in every 6 U.S. residents, collected Social Security benefits in 2022. Social Security goes beyond paying benefits to workers; it pays benefits to surviving spouses, divorced spouses, and others. However, Social Security…
Avoid these common Social Security missteps
Social Security is the largest government agency, with over 65 million Americans receiving Social Security benefits each month as of August 2022. Like most programs administrated by the federal government, there are rules and exceptions to those rules that make…
A brief look at spousal benefits
A spouse can choose to retire as early as age 62 but doing so may result in a benefit of as little as 32.5 percent of the worker’s primary insurance amount. But what if you never paid into Social Security;…
Ask Rusty – Octogenarian Asks About Wife’s Spousal and Survivor Benefits
Dear Rusty: I am now 80 and my wife is 76, and we both took early Social Security benefits at age 62. When my wife took her Social Security, it was a lot smaller than mine, so they took a…
Ask Rusty – Surviving Spouse Benefits Explained
Dear Rusty: If I file at age 63 what percentage does my wife receive if I die? Does this percentage change if I wait to file closer to my full retirement age? And what does my wife receive if I…
Social Security Spousal Benefits: Three Things to Know
In this piece, Todd Campbell explains what married and divorced people should know about qualifying for Social Security spousal benefits, as this information could significantly increase your retirement income. There are a myriad of rules on who can collect spousal benefits and how much…
Ask Rusty – Maximizing Spousal Benefits
Dear Rusty: My husband turns 68 next year, and I will be turning 66. He plans on continuing to work and retiring at age 70 to maximize his monthly Social Security benefits. I am retiring next year due to a…