My dad was 69 and was waiting until 70 to start taking SS. He died. My mom is turning 67 in a few months and planning on taking SS right away. Working longer is not an option for her. Her benefits would have been higher than my dad’s. Is there anything my mom can do or are my dad’s benefits simply gone?
Posted by ixb
2 Comments
Gone. That’s the risk of delaying.
I’m sorry for your loss.
Sorry for your loss
It is gone, the general strategy for social security is to have the lower earning spouse claim right away at 62 and for the higher earning spouse to claim as late as possible at 70 ideally. This maximizes the actuarial value of social security.