I just turned 62 on May 19th. My ex-spouse (over 10 yrs of marriage) turns 62 in 2019. He will probably not apply for benefits until he's 66 or 70. I have 60k in my IRA account, my job prospects are slim. My past earnings average out to 30k, my ex's average out to 100k. I'm thinking I should file for my benefits now and let the IRA continue to grow (hopefully). But if I do that, will I be able to collect on my ex's benefits when he becomes eligible? Or would it be better to live off the 60k and part time work until I reach 70? No matter how many times I read all the rules, I'm still unsure of my best options. Thanks in advance for any advice. I am going to look into your program now though! Thanks, Rita

Rita, you can file for your retirement benefit as early as 62, but it will be reduced. You can become eligible for your divorced spousal benefit once your ex files for his retirement benefit. You can become independently entitled to it once your ex reaches 62 since you'll have been divorced at least 2 years by then. It's not possible to say what your maximized strategy is without more information. Our software can determine how to maximize your benefits and will also let you enter as many what-if scenarios as you'd like to see how they compare to the maximized strategy and to each other. Thanks, John