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Understanding Spousal Benefits in the Wake of a Partner’s Death - finance.yahoo.com
One of the more complicated aspects of Social Security rules relates to the determination of benefits available to a surviving spouse. In fact, it’s one of the most frequent areas, along with the general question of spousal benefits, that we deal with here at the AMAC Foundation’s Social Security Advisory Service. The issue of spousal benefits accounts for approximately one-third of the thousands of inquiries we handle annually.
Often, the question focuses on determining which benefit amount is most advantageous: the survivor’s own benefit or the benefit based on a deceased partner’s work record. Another question often arising is whether both benefits are available to the survivor, and then there’s the issue of benefit reductions when a survivor has claimed benefits before full retirement age. See, it can be complicated.
Check out this Moneywise post on finance.yahoo.com for some guidelines on this issue. If, after reading the post, you still have questions regarding your personal situation, know that the AMAC Foundation’s free-to-the-public Social Security Advisory Service is available to help you. Click here to learn about this service and how to access it.
This posting is presented for informational purposes only and does not represent legal or financial guidance. Any opinions or interpretations presented are either those of the original author or, in the case of articles authored by the AMAC Foundation, are the opinions of AMAC Foundation staff, originally trained and accredited by the National Social Security Association (NSSA) and certified via the AMAC Foundation. Any links included in the article are valid on the posted date; socialsecurityreport.org cannot guarantee the duration of the links’ validity. NSSA and the AMAC Foundation and its staff are not affiliated with or endorsed by the Social Security Administration or any other governmental entity. To submit a question, visit our website (https://amacfoundation.org/services/) or email us at ssadvisor@amacfoundation.org. Because we are a non-profit organization, there is no charge for these services.