Hi Larry, I read “Get What’s Yours” and am receiving spousal benefits when I turned 66 this year. My husband is 71 and has been receiving his s.s. when he turned 70. My past s.s. statements indicate that my s.s. benefit should be higher than my husband's, so I'd like to let that grow and claim my own benefit when I turn 70. But when I logged on to the s.s website just now, instead of showing my estimated benefits at different ages, it just says "If you are getting benefits as the spouse or the widow or widower of someone else, we must look at both records to determine how much you are entitled to. Please call our toll-free telephone number on page 4 or contact your local Social Security office so that we can discuss this with you." Why does my estimated benefit disappear? Will the spousal benefit I'm receiving now decrease the amount that I'll receive at 70 based on my own benefit?

Hi,

Your spousal benefits won't have any effect on your own retirement benefit rate. Social Security stops making online estimates available to people once they begin receiving any type of benefits. That's simply a policy of theirs, and has nothing to do with your personal benefit amounts or options.

Best, Jerry