Will Your Software Provide Results For A 40 Year Old Widower With A Minor Child?
Will this software provide results available for a 40 year old male who lost his 42 year old wife leaving newborn using spousal survivor benefits? If not, is there another service or site you can recommend?
Once the $40.00 is paid what is the active time of use for the site from the initial payment?
Hi. I'm sorry for your loss. Yes the software will analyze your filing options and provide your best filing strategy, but to get the most accurate results you'll need to enter your wife's Social Security earnings history. You should be able to obtain . . . Read More
Category: Maximize My Social Security Software
Posted: Aug 28 2022 - 3:31pm
Will My Spouse Lose Her Spousal Benefits If We Divorce Now?
Dear Larry,
I have a question I hope you can answer. I married about 4 years ago. My spouse and I reached our FRA in late 2020 and I filed for SS based on my record. My spouse filed for spousal benefits on my record. My question is, will my spouse lose her spousal benefits if we get a divorce now? Does the 10-year rule apply if you're already collecting spousal benefits when you get divorced? Thanks, Johnny
Hi Johnny. Yes, the benefits that your spouse is collecting from your account would terminate if you divorce prior to being married for 10 years . . . Read More
Category: Divorced Spousal Benefits
Posted: Aug 28 2022 - 12:07pm
Can I Start A New Application If I Allow The Previous Application I Started To Lapse?
I started an online application on March 12, 2022. It states I must complete it by September 12, 2022. It states I must start receiving benefits by December 2022. I don’t want to start drawing benefits until March 2023. If I let this application lapse can I start a new application and still receive full benefits or am I penalized?
Hi. Yes, you can let the unsubmitted application you started lapse, and after it does you should be able to start a new application. And, no, you won't be penalized for letting the application lapse. Applications can be . . . Read More
Category: Filing For Benefits
Posted: Aug 28 2022 - 12:02pm
What Are The Implications For Me As A Public Servant Who Doesn't Pay Social Security Taxes?
Hi Larry!
I was a public servant for 10 years and now work for a state-level hospital system, both of which have pension programs. I do not pay into Social Security. This seems typical for some states (Massachusetts, Colorado) but my understanding is it may not be the same for all states. I'm curious what, if any, implications there might be when I reach retirement age? Thanks for your insight!
Hi. My expertise is limited to Social Security benefits, so that's all I can tell you about. If you receive a pension based on your work for governmental . . . Read More
Category: Non-Covered Pension - WEP / GPO
Posted: Aug 26 2022 - 2:40pm
Why Does The Windfall Act Affect Me?
I am collecting ssn disability and I also collect a pension why does the windfall act affect me ?
Hi. The Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP) can cause a person's Social Security retirement or disability (SSDI) benefit rate to be reduced if they receive another pension that's based on their earnings, and if those earnings were exempt from Social Security taxes. So, if the other pension you receive is based on your earnings and if you didn't pay Social Security taxes on those earnings, that's why your SSDI benefits can be affected by WEP.
Congress . . . Read More
Category: Non-Covered Pension - WEP / GPO
Posted: Aug 26 2022 - 12:04pm
Can My Wife Draw My Social Security If I Die And Also Collect Her German Social Security?
I am 66 and am drawing my social security. I understand that should I die that my wife of 34 years can draw my social security when she retires My wife has never worked in the US but has worked in Germany for about 35 years. Can my wife, in the case of my death, draw my American social security when she retires as well as her German Rentenversicherung (German social security) or must she chose between the higher of the two?
Hi. Receiving benefits from the German Social Security program would have no adverse effect on your wife's ability to collect widow's . . . Read More
Category: Miscellaneous
Posted: Aug 26 2022 - 11:53am
Will It Affect Disability Benefits If You Inherit And Rent Out Farmland?
If you inherit farmland and decide to rent it out, will that affect disability payments
Hi. No, assuming that what you receive some type of Social Security disability benefit (i.e. Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI), Disabled Widow's Benefits (DWB), Childhood Disability Benefits (CDB)). There's no limit on the amount of assets you can have if you receive Social Security benefits, and the only type of income that can affect Social Security disability benefits is earned income (i.e. wages or self-employment income). Rental income is classified as . . . Read More
Category: Disability Benefits
Posted: Aug 25 2022 - 4:38pm
Can I Apply Online For Social Security?
My railroad retirement tier 1 is now less than my social security benefit when I turn age 70. Can I apply on-line for social security or do I have to directly make an office appointment?
Hi. My expertise doesn't extend to the Social Security website. All I can tell you is that collecting Railroad Retirement benefits isn't listed on Social Security's website as one of the exceptions to online filing. In any case, I don't think it could hurt to try filing online. I assume the website will give you instructions if you run into a problem.
Best, Jerry . . . Read More
Category: Filing For Benefits
Posted: Aug 25 2022 - 11:17am
If My Husband Dies Before Me Will I Collect The Larger Of Our Two Social Security Amounts?
Hi,. I am a 62 y.o female. I am on SSDI and have been for about 6-7 years. My husband, who is 67 now collects his regular amount of s.s, since turning 62 I think. He has cancer and has been on s.s for about 10 years. If my husband passes away before me, will I collect the larger of the 2 s.s amount? (That would be my husband's). Isn't there a widow's disability or something like that. I am disabled, which is why I'm on s.s. We we're victims of identity fraud and lost Everything. We only have our s.s money to live on. I can collect a small amount from UPS when I turn 65. But it . . . Read More
Category: Widow's Benefits
Posted: Aug 24 2022 - 10:21pm
Can I Expect My Benefits To Be Based On What My Salary Was In 2010?
Greetings Larry,
Today I am 62 +1 day. Here's my question. Back in 2010, I retired from my local fire department at the age of 50. My pension is a state of Florida defined benefit plan. Even though it was a state pension we were still in SS. After I retired I went to work for a neighboring fire department. Because of their state-defined benefit plan they opted out of SS. It's been 22 years since I paid into SS. They took me off the trucks years ago and put me in the office. This will give me a little longevity in a labor-intensive job. With that said I'm thinking about . . . Read More
Category: Calculating Retirement Benefits
Posted: Aug 24 2022 - 12:20pm
