Ask Larry

Benefit Amount

Will My Check Stay The Same Or Increase As I Continue To Work?

I turn 66 in Oct. So I think my first SS check will be in Feb. If I continue to work full time will my check stay the same or increase as I continue to work??
Thank you.
Micky

Hi Micky. Social Security retirement benefits are based on an average of a person's highest 35 years of Social Security covered wage-indexed earnings, so your future earnings will only increase your benefit rate if they're higher than one or more of the 35 years currently being used to calculate the person's benefit rate.

Posted: 
Wednesday, March 16, 2022 - 19:33

Can You Look At My Record And See What My Benefit Rate Should Be?

Hi, you really helped me when I turned 60 with my widow's benefit. Now I am in real mess with SSA. I really need an independent look at my benefit calculation. I signed up for SS last Feb at age 68 and the person that figured my amount was at best incompetent. It has been recalculated twice once there was an increase of 16$ this last one was for 6$. I am hoping you can look at my record and see what is what. Also, am I due the amounts on my past checks for the errors?

Posted: 
Thursday, March 10, 2022 - 11:04

How Do I Get Social Security To Pay Me My Full Benefit?

I worked with the local SS people for months to determine my benefit. I went over my 100% benefit to increase my monthly amount. I decided to pull the trigger in June 2021. I was told am amount by the local people. Then I received my first check in July. The check amount was low by $88. I figured I did not receive the amount covering the extra months for year 2021. I filed an appeal. The local person answer my appeal on the phone and said I was correct and that everything would be set correct after the turn of 2022. I have asked for a new calculation to be done.

Posted: 
Friday, February 25, 2022 - 07:45

How Would Moving To Sweden Affect The Calculation Of My U.S. Social Security Retirement Benefit?

I am a US citizen who has paid US social security taxes for 25 years. I lived in Sweden for 15 years during which time I had no US taxable income and paid taxes to Sweden on my Swedish taxable income. I currently live in the US and only have US taxable income. I plan to wait 8 years and then apply for US social security retirement benefits at age 70. If I move to Sweden before I apply for US social security retirement benefits, how would the calculation of my benefit be affected.

Posted: 
Tuesday, February 22, 2022 - 09:02

Is It True That I'm Now Stuck With My Age 62 Rate?

When I initially made the application,, at 62 yoa, it included my two minor daughters. I was actually only interested in receiving benefits in the event of a major alteration in my ability to work. As it turned out, my daughters (adopted) were denied because of a particular proof of citizenship form social security required but not required for adoption. I assumed the application would not remain in effect. Sometime later I was advised benefits would be suspended (I continued to work).

Posted: 
Saturday, February 19, 2022 - 08:24

What Am I Missing?

Hi Larry,
Thanks so much for offering such a wonderful tool to use for us WEP retires. It is fantastic.

I waited 5 months from someone at SS to attempt to answer my questions that I had about WEP and the GPO. I had three phone appointments with them. No one understood how to answer my WEP questions. SS finally had a women reach out to me that was supposedly an expert on WEP and she supplied me with numbers that don't even come close to my manual calculations and what your software arrived at. My confidence level of the answers she supplied me with is very low.

Posted: 
Monday, February 14, 2022 - 15:13

If I Apply For Retirement Benefits Will My Disability Payment Be Reduced?

Hi Larry
I am turning 62 in 6 months. I have been sick and stop working since October 2020, i started my application for SSDI about 7 months ago and currently waiting for decision to be made by SSA Hearing office. If I apply for retirement when reached age 62, would my disability payment will be reduced if approved?
Thank you

Hi. Your Social Security disability (SSDI) benefit rate won't be reduced as long as your initial month of SSDI entitlement is the same as or earlier than your first month of retirement benefit entitlement.

Posted: 
Friday, February 11, 2022 - 16:57

Can My Wife And Daughter Switch Their Benefits To My Account When I Apply For My Benefits?

My 30 year old daughter is childhood disabled and initially claimed benefits on my wife's disability and now her retirement. Wife is 69. I'm 3 years younger than my wife (BD 1955) and will file at age 70.
Can my daughter & wife switch their benefits to me once I file assuming all three benefits are under the family maximum and what % of my benefit would they receive now and ultimately as survivors?

Posted: 
Saturday, February 5, 2022 - 09:26

Will Social Security Automatically Adjust My Benefit Rate If I Continue Working?

If I apply for Social Security at age 70 but continue to work well beyond age 70, to say to 75, will my SS benefit automatically adjust each year based on the highest 35 year formulation? If I have 20 years of Substantial Earning under Social Security at age 70 and continue to work after age 70, will my WEP deduction/penalty automatically decrease each year?

Posted: 
Tuesday, February 1, 2022 - 16:47

Why Did My Payment Include An Extra $90 This Month?

i recieved 90 extra dollars today i get ssdi where did it come from i get 1105 a mpnth and have a backpayment of 478 coming this month 2nd installment of backpay

Hi. Only Social Security can give you a definite answer since they are the only people who have access to your records. The 5.9% Social Security cost of living (COLA) increase did become effective with this month's payment (i.e. the payment for December 2021 issued in January 2022), so that may have something to do with the increase.

Best, Jerry

Posted: 
Saturday, January 29, 2022 - 11:59
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