Larry,
I am pretty sure what the answer to my question will be but since I didn’t find it specifically addressed in Get What’s Yours, I figured it wouldn’t hurt to ask.

My wife is turning 70 next month and will start receiving her retirement benefit based on her earnings. I just turned 68 and plan on waiting until I am 70 to start receiving my retirement benefit. As the higher earner, my benefit already exceeds her benefit so if I should die first, she would switch to her survivor benefit based on my earnings. If for some reason I don’t make it to 70 can she defer claiming her survivor benefit until I would have reached 70 to maximize her benefit or does delayed retirement credit accumulation cease at death?

Thanks,
Bill

Hi Bill. No. If you die before reaching age 70, your benefit rate would be credited will all of the DRCs you earned prior to your month of death. But, no DRCs would be credited for months starting with your month of death, even if your wife waited until later to claim survivor benefits.

If you don't live until age 70 and if your wife actually did wait until the month that you would have reached age 70 to claim survivor benefits, her monthly benefit rate would be no higher at that time than it would have been if she claimed benefits starting with your month of death. So, since your wife is already past her FRA, if you die before her and if your benefit rate is higher than her rate, she would want to claim widow's benefits immediately.

Best, Jerry