‘You can take reduced benefits early and get a bump-up later.’
When you take Social Security early and receive a lower benefit, there is no automatic increase in later years.
But you can lift your payments by suspending them when you reach your full retirement age, currently 66 for most retirees. You’ll raise your benefits by up to 8% for each year the suspension remains in place, up to age 70.
Here’s another way to increase the reduced benefits that come from claiming early: Just withdraw your claim within one year, and repay all benefits that you or family members received.
Then, wait to claim again at full retirement or later, to receive a larger payment. Note that you’re allowed only one of these do-overs during your lifetime.
4 thoughts on “12 Myths About Social Security Finally Debunked”
when i die will my wife collect my ss
I am a 65 year old male that will be eligible for social security in a few months. My wife of 43+ years is drawing teacher retirement after a 35 year career. As we understand it, she will not be eligible for any of my survivor SS benefits or any of her own SS earnings. She has worked many, many hours of SS paying jobs during her college days, summers off and in the 5 or so years since her retirement from teaching. Do we understand this correctly and, if so, is there any course of action we can take to change that?
VJ, Bishop, TX
yOU HAVE ANSWERED SOME QUESTIONS I HAD. THANKS
When my husband recently passed, I was unaware that I could get his social security which was three times the amount than mine. After being told to go after his social security amount instead of mine, I went back to ask for his and now I’m dealing with a very slow system. I’ve been to the social security office three times this week already and still no change in my benefits to collect my husbands benefits.I have been to two different social security offices and nothing is happening. They keep promising the change will take time, but I wonder if will ever happen. What else can I do that I haven’t already done?