This may be too complicated or long for a quick question. I will try.
My husband passed October 2019, he was 66 and not taking social security. My birthday was September 1st in 2019. He was very ill and asked me to go ahead and start my Social Security because he knew we needed to retire the mid September 2019. The Social Security person said it would be retroactive to August 1st since I had a September 1st birthday. So it was said into motion and October 6th he passed away. I had not yet received a social security check to my recollection that is.
When I contacted them mid October about his passing and how that affected me I honestly don't know what they did because after 47 years of marriage everything was pretty much a blur for a couple of years after.
I have no idea who's Social Security I'm taking currently mine or his. I have continued to work and I am w-2 through my company which I own as well.

To my question for you I just need to know what questions specifically I need to ask Social Security. How do I determine which social security I am collecting? Which social security would be better to take if there is an option, his or mine? I will be 70 next September and if I could stop my social security from what I was reading in your money magic book, assuming I would make more I would like to do so and restart mine then take his in the interum.

I have a clear head now than I did when he passed and for that matter a couple years after. I would like to get it figured out sooner than later so I don't miss an opportunity to secure some sort of retirement. I like what I do and will continue working several years to come just need to fix what I may have broken in the meantime.

Thank you and I do enjoy your articles.

Hi. I'm sorry for your loss. Based on your description of events, it sounds like you filed for your own Social Security retirement benefits effective with August 2019, which was at your full retirement age (FRA) assuming that you were born on September 1st 1953. If your husband's benefit rate would have been higher than your own benefit rate, then hopefully you also applied for widow's benefits effective October 2019. Widow's benefits don't get any higher if you wait past your FRA to claim them.

If you did file for your own benefits first and then for higher widow's benefits, Social Security should be paying you your own benefit plus a partial widow's benefit equal to the difference in your benefit rate and your husband's rate. In other words, you'd then be receiving a total monthly benefit rate equal to your husband's higher benefit rate. Assuming that's correct, you don't need to do anything.

However, if you're only drawing your own benefits and not widow's benefits, you should apply for widow's benefits as soon as possible IF your widow's rate would be higher than your own rate. On the other hand, if you're only collecting widow's benefits and you've never applied for your own benefits, then you would only need to apply for your own benefits if your own benefit rate would be higher than your widow's rate. If your own rate is higher, though, you would probably be better off waiting until age 70 to switch from widow's benefits to your own benefits.

Since you don't know what benefits you're collecting, I would suggest that you call Social Security to find out. If you aren't already collecting both your own benefits and widow's benefits, ask them if you're eligible for a higher benefit rate on the other record. If you are, then you'll want to apply for the other benefit either now or at age 70 depending on which benefit you are currently collecting.

Best, Jerry