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SheilaT

(23,156 posts)
5. You might want to double check your plan.
Sat Oct 31, 2015, 06:02 PM
Oct 2015

If he is only 55 right now, you have seven years until he is 62, and he must be at least that old for you to collect from his benefits. . If you are at least 66 at that point, you will collect half of what his benefit would be when he turns 66. At age 62, as you know, you can claim your own SS, but it will adversely impact forever what you can get. You also need to have been married at least ten years and divorced for two to be able to claim the divorced spouse benefit.

I don't know what your personal situation is, but you may want to work until you are 66 or so. I was very much in your situation when my marriage came to an end. I turned 60 when the divorce became final. I'd been out of the workforce for a good 25 years raising children, although I'd worked and paid into SS for more than ten years before getting married. I moved to another part of the country and found work. Earlier this year, my ex turned 62. I filed for the spousal benefit, because that was absolutely the earliest I could. In three more years when I turn 70, I will then switch to my own, which will be about $600 more per month. If he predeceases me, I can then switch back to his SS as a widow, and will get at least $400 more on that account.

Get your hands on a copy of Get What's Yours by Laurence Kotlikoff, Paul Solman, and Philip Moeller. They lay out every possible scenario for collecting SS there is, including advice on what they believe is the best strategy.

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