Should I File Online Or In Person?
Hi Larry, I will be turning 66 at the beginning of August and plan on filing for retirement coverage shortly, to commence in August. We have 2 kids under 18, so I will also be filing for child benefits for them, also to start in August. After reading all the horror stories in your excellent book about filing over the phone or even at the local SSA office, I was planning to file online for my benefits. However, I saw that child benefits cannot be applied for online, so should I apply for all 3 of us in person at the local SSA office so they get processed as a group?
Also . . . Read More
Category: Filing For Benefits
Posted: May 28 2019 - 3:17pm
Would My Spousal Benefit Be Half Of What My Husband Is Currently Collecting?
Hi, I get confused on PIA/FRA. My husband is 88 and has been collecting since he was 64 or 65. He currently receives $1756 before medicare. I will be 66 in October and figure I will start collecting as I continue to work (Will most likely work until age 70 ) My FRA will be $1644. I am thinking it best to collect half of his and hold off on mine until age 70 where mine will jump to $2349. (without COLA) My two questions are: #1. Would my spousal be half of what he is currently collecting? or is it what he collected @ age 65? (FRA?PIA). #2 If I go with this scenario and he passes . . . Read More
Category: Filing Strategies
Posted: May 28 2019 - 2:48pm
Do I Get Any Credit For My Earnings Under Social Security If I Just Receive Railroad Retirement?
I retired from the railroad with 41 years of service. I also worked concurrently with non railroad employers under SS. I realize I can't get two separate T1/ss pensions. My question is do I just get the higher of the two (obviously RRR) and do I get "any" credit for the SS wages and If so "where" does it show the difference that SS income made? Thx
Hi,
Yes, at least potentially. Tier 1 Railroad Retirement (RR) benefits are calculated using both Social Security covered earnings and railroad earnings. My expertise is limited to Social Security . . . Read More
Category: Railroad Retirement & Social Security
Posted: May 26 2019 - 4:19pm
Shouldn't My Brother Be Able To Draw Both Railroad Retirement And Social Security?
My brother worked for the railroad for 15 years ,easily long enough to vest. Then worked ,and paid into social security for 33 years . shouldn't he be able to draw from ssa and railroad at the same time?
Hi,
Yes, and he can do so except that he can't be paid both his full Tier 1 Railroad Retirement (RR) benefits and his Social Security benefits. Tier 1 RR benefits are intended to be a substitute for Social Security benefits, and are calculated using the person's Social Security covered earnings. Thus, paying a person their full Tier 1 RR benefit in . . . Read More
Category: Railroad Retirement & Social Security
Posted: May 24 2019 - 1:27pm
Do Medicare And Social Security Communicate Regarding The Status Of Premiums Paid And Due?
Larry,
I’m in what is likely to be an increasing category of folks. People who start their Medicare coverage long before they start their Social Security. Under this scenario I have been paying my Medicare premiums directly every three months.
I have not seen any discussion anywhere of my pending problem which, as I indicated, must be occurring more often now.
Medicare requires that I directly pay my premiums three months in advance. My next three-month premium is due June 25th which I must pay by that date. That will cover my Medicare for July – August – . . . Read More
Category: Medicare
Posted: May 23 2019 - 4:26pm
Can I Suspend My SSA And Receive Half Of My Spouse's Full Rate?
I was born in 12-1952. I filed SSA on 9-2017. I received 1st SSA check on Feb. 2018. My primary amount is $1700
My spouse was born in 2/1957, filed SSA on 11-2018, got 1st SSA check on Mar. 2019. Full amount is $2800.
Can I suspense my SSA and receive my spouse 50% of $2800 (= $1400) until I get 70 years old?
Thanks, Larry.
Hi,
No. If you wouldn't have filed for your own benefits you could have filed just for spousal benefits only when your husband started drawing his benefits, and then you could have filed on your own record at age . . . Read More
Category: Filing Options
Posted: May 23 2019 - 4:04pm
Does The Software Consider Disabled Child's Benefits When Evaluating Filing Options For The Parents?
https://maximizemysocialsecurity.com/how-are-disabled-adult-childs-benef... suggests "running the maximization software available on this website in order to explore all of your potential filing options." Does your software include/consider DAC SSDI benefits for a disabled adult child when evaluating filing options for the parents?
I subscribed to your software a couple of years ago... and I though I remember it saying that it did not do the above... right after I paid. . . . Read More
Category: Maximize My Social Security Software
Posted: May 23 2019 - 11:20am
How Will My Spousal Benefit Rate Be Calculated If I Recieve DRCs On My Own Record?
I am 67 and, for various reasons, have not yet filed for benefits, so I have been accruing delayed retirement credits. My spouse is 63 and has not filed for benefits. He plans to delay collecting benefits until he is 70. My benefit is smaller than his.
I plan to file for my own benefit and then file for the spousal benefit when my spouse files for his benefit. I believe that when I file for the spousal benefit that Social Security will pay me my own benefit first, then the spousal benefit (= ½ my husband’s PIA, i.e., his benefit at full retirement age minus my PIA, i.e., . . . Read More
Category: Spousal Benefits
Posted: May 23 2019 - 7:42am
Am I Okay To Earn Over $100K Per Year And Just Let My Loss Of SSA Roll Until FRA?
Hello Larry,
I am in a bit of a quandary on when to file for benefits (I have the max my SSA 1 year access still have questions). I have a 21 year old son with a permanent disability who is able to work a limited amount in a job that is meant for a person with a disability. He makes $500 bi-weekly which has reduced his SSI amount from $771 per month to just over $300 per month. I am considering filing for SSA benefits at 62 and 7 months (the end of this year) and continuing to work (which will basically eliminate my benefit and tack it on to my payout after FRA I believe . . . Read More
Category: Earnings Test
Posted: May 23 2019 - 6:48am
What Happens If A Person Qualifies For Social Security From Both The U.S. And Another Country?
Hi Larry!
I understand that the United States has Totalization Agreements with 26 countries to prevent scenarios where someone pays into 2 countries systems, but does not qualify for a benefit from either individually.
How about scenarios where someone qualifies for both Social Security AND the other countries version of Social Security. Is it safe to say that they can receive both, but Social Security would most likely be reduced by WEP? How about someone that receives Social Security but also qualifies for a PENSION from work OVERSEAS, where they did NOT pay into . . . Read More
Category: Foreign Pensions
Posted: May 22 2019 - 2:24pm
