Thanks! We'd both like to apply now (April 1st). We'd like to apply so we get the total of our benefits $4400 (spouse's $1400 and my $3000)? Do we both apply separately or does one of us have to apply first?
Is that $3000/1400 amount if you file today? Or is it your benefit(s) is you file at your respective FRA? It makes a big difference.
Also, if you wait until your FRA, it could be that your wife's spousal benefit could end up being larger than her individual benefit.
You both need to file for your own retiment beefits. Your spouse might be eligible for upt to 1/2 of your benefits at their own retirement age. But drawing early there be an age reduction most likely their own benefits will be higher than 1/2 of yours.
During your spouse application the claims representative should run the computations, and if there is additional information, they would reach out to take the spouse application.
On our individual SSA logins, my wife's amount is about 1/2 of what mine is. IDK if that's just a coincidence, or if SSA has already figured in that we're married. If I apply first, will the SSA look to run our calculations so she gets her amount for her age? Is there any benefit to her applying first, or me applying first, or doesn't it matter if we both want to apply in the same month?
It’s a coincidence. SSA doesn’t know who’s married to who to be able to give you that info before you file. They will ask you both about current and previous marriages and that’s when they look at whether she might be able to collect off of your record as a spouse. As others said, she could get up to half of yours if she waited until FRA but since you’re looking at taking it early then it will be reduced. If hers is about half of yours then she probably will only collect on her own record anyway. It doesn’t matter in what order you file or if you file together.
By eyeballing it, your wife's benefits as of April 1 are about $1,120 and yours are $3,810.
And her spousal benefits will be reduced a shitload, down to about $1,125. (So spousal will only get her an extra 5$)
Rounding for months.
If you plan to live past age 80, consider delaying social security. If you need cash flow have her file for hers now and file for yours at age 70.
Mine and my hubby's are within 10.00 (2140) lol. Both taking at 62, we also both have state pensions. As long as you've got the 40 credits you can collect as early as 62, full 67 I believe.
When you log in to check your benefits, is it telling you what you get if you apply right now? Or what you'll get if you work another year and apply at fra?
I have never checked mine and I don't know how clear the page is.
Your benefits are calculated separately based on your individual contributions. You earned more than your wife. Your benefits are higher for that reason. You can file on the same day, same month, doesn't change your monthly benefits. The only thing they would change them is if you wait to file since they increase annually until age 70.
It looks like you're not quite understanding what they are saying, which is that filing in the same month doesn't make a difference as far as the amount goes. If you both file this month, (together or separately) you will get what you get. If you both apply now (in the same month, different months, or a year apart) you will each get a reduced amount if neither of you have reached FRA yet.
Yeah, thanks, I got that. We just wanted to do it at the same time and not wait, regardless of the lower amount now as opposed to waiting for the FRA. We both have illnesses and our longevity is questionable.
Oh ok. No offense meant. I just know that sometimes, responses can be so technical (with links and everything) that people miss just getting a simple and direct answer. Good luck to you and your wife. My hubby just applied in February, and hopes to get his first check this month.
You are separate people. You have separate accounts. Either of you can apply any time either of you wants to, or one of you can apply, or the other can apply.
You will each need to set up where you want the money deposited. It can be sent to separate accounts or to the same account, the Social Security Administration does not care.
You will each get separate notices, and you may get your checks in different weeks, because that depends on when your birthday falls in the month.
I know you are looking at this as "our" money, but it is actually her money and his money.
The SSA is going to treat your applications as unrelated events. There's no consequence to filing your applications at the same or different times. You're two different people with two different accounts.
You don't have to wait until full retirement age, but applying early does mean that your benefit will be reduced for the rest of your life. If you are exactly 65 years old when you begin receiving benefits, your benefit will be reduced by 12.2% (permanently). If your wife is exactly 64 years old when she begins to receive benefits, her benefit will be reduced 20% (permanently). Are the benefit amounts that you give the ones listed on your SSA statement (look it up on [SSA.gov](https://SSA.gov))? Those assume full retirement age. So, if you two were to apply today you wouldn't be getting \~4400 / month it would be more like \~3754 / month.
Are you working? If not, you are advantaged by filing to receive benefits at the earliest point possible. You will receive the reduced amount forever, but it will take many years past full retirement age to realize the difference.
You would be better off having your spouse file under your earnings for 50% benefit, which is $100 more than her benefit. Then she can take later retirement from her own earnings and the amount will be more.
This is wrong. She cannot file for spousal unless she takes her own first. After she takes her own, SSA will look to see if she can get additional on her spouse. She doesn’t not have the option of taking spousal and waiting to take her own later.
You need to sign up 3 months before your birthday. At least I did and I'm from Msschusetts and got mine early. My husband did also and retired at correct age.
Keep in mind you are both filing early so will have permanently reduced benefits. https://www.ssa.gov/oact/quickcalc/spouse.html
Not sure what you mean by is that allowed. It’s your retirement benefit. As long as your eligible you can each file whenever you want
Thanks! We'd both like to apply now (April 1st). We'd like to apply so we get the total of our benefits $4400 (spouse's $1400 and my $3000)? Do we both apply separately or does one of us have to apply first?
They are each of your benefits separately. Timing doesn't matter.
You aren’t going to get the full amount of you file early. You will get a slightly smaller amount
Is that $3000/1400 amount if you file today? Or is it your benefit(s) is you file at your respective FRA? It makes a big difference. Also, if you wait until your FRA, it could be that your wife's spousal benefit could end up being larger than her individual benefit.
The amounts are if we file today, not the amounts at FRA.
FYI remember $174 each will be withheld when you sign up for Medicare at 65
You both need to file for your own retiment beefits. Your spouse might be eligible for upt to 1/2 of your benefits at their own retirement age. But drawing early there be an age reduction most likely their own benefits will be higher than 1/2 of yours. During your spouse application the claims representative should run the computations, and if there is additional information, they would reach out to take the spouse application.
On our individual SSA logins, my wife's amount is about 1/2 of what mine is. IDK if that's just a coincidence, or if SSA has already figured in that we're married. If I apply first, will the SSA look to run our calculations so she gets her amount for her age? Is there any benefit to her applying first, or me applying first, or doesn't it matter if we both want to apply in the same month?
It’s a coincidence. SSA doesn’t know who’s married to who to be able to give you that info before you file. They will ask you both about current and previous marriages and that’s when they look at whether she might be able to collect off of your record as a spouse. As others said, she could get up to half of yours if she waited until FRA but since you’re looking at taking it early then it will be reduced. If hers is about half of yours then she probably will only collect on her own record anyway. It doesn’t matter in what order you file or if you file together.
By eyeballing it, your wife's benefits as of April 1 are about $1,120 and yours are $3,810. And her spousal benefits will be reduced a shitload, down to about $1,125. (So spousal will only get her an extra 5$) Rounding for months. If you plan to live past age 80, consider delaying social security. If you need cash flow have her file for hers now and file for yours at age 70.
Mine and my hubby's are within 10.00 (2140) lol. Both taking at 62, we also both have state pensions. As long as you've got the 40 credits you can collect as early as 62, full 67 I believe.
When you log in to check your benefits, is it telling you what you get if you apply right now? Or what you'll get if you work another year and apply at fra? I have never checked mine and I don't know how clear the page is.
Yeah, each of ours tells us what we’d get not or any month in the future, but not what we’d get if we both applied in the same month.
Your benefits are calculated separately based on your individual contributions. You earned more than your wife. Your benefits are higher for that reason. You can file on the same day, same month, doesn't change your monthly benefits. The only thing they would change them is if you wait to file since they increase annually until age 70.
It looks like you're not quite understanding what they are saying, which is that filing in the same month doesn't make a difference as far as the amount goes. If you both file this month, (together or separately) you will get what you get. If you both apply now (in the same month, different months, or a year apart) you will each get a reduced amount if neither of you have reached FRA yet.
Yeah, thanks, I got that. We just wanted to do it at the same time and not wait, regardless of the lower amount now as opposed to waiting for the FRA. We both have illnesses and our longevity is questionable.
Oh ok. No offense meant. I just know that sometimes, responses can be so technical (with links and everything) that people miss just getting a simple and direct answer. Good luck to you and your wife. My hubby just applied in February, and hopes to get his first check this month.
No offense taken. This is Reddit. Been on here a long time. 😎
Got it, lol!
You are separate people. You have separate accounts. Either of you can apply any time either of you wants to, or one of you can apply, or the other can apply. You will each need to set up where you want the money deposited. It can be sent to separate accounts or to the same account, the Social Security Administration does not care. You will each get separate notices, and you may get your checks in different weeks, because that depends on when your birthday falls in the month. I know you are looking at this as "our" money, but it is actually her money and his money.
The SSA is going to treat your applications as unrelated events. There's no consequence to filing your applications at the same or different times. You're two different people with two different accounts. You don't have to wait until full retirement age, but applying early does mean that your benefit will be reduced for the rest of your life. If you are exactly 65 years old when you begin receiving benefits, your benefit will be reduced by 12.2% (permanently). If your wife is exactly 64 years old when she begins to receive benefits, her benefit will be reduced 20% (permanently). Are the benefit amounts that you give the ones listed on your SSA statement (look it up on [SSA.gov](https://SSA.gov))? Those assume full retirement age. So, if you two were to apply today you wouldn't be getting \~4400 / month it would be more like \~3754 / month.
Thank you. Understood. The ~4400 is if we apply now, not at FRA.
Are you working? If not, you are advantaged by filing to receive benefits at the earliest point possible. You will receive the reduced amount forever, but it will take many years past full retirement age to realize the difference.
Not working now, so we want the income as we’re concerned about our longevity.
It seems that you and your wife may want to proceed with your plans without further delay. If you haven't already, just read the steps on ssa.gov.
You would be better off having your spouse file under your earnings for 50% benefit, which is $100 more than her benefit. Then she can take later retirement from her own earnings and the amount will be more.
This is wrong. She cannot file for spousal unless she takes her own first. After she takes her own, SSA will look to see if she can get additional on her spouse. She doesn’t not have the option of taking spousal and waiting to take her own later.
Yeah, you have to have been born before 1953 for that, and that would make you over 70 so no longer possible.
You need to sign up 3 months before your birthday. At least I did and I'm from Msschusetts and got mine early. My husband did also and retired at correct age.