social security benefit, if you check the married box, the total is increased to include an additional 50% of your benefit for your spouse. If your spouse will be collecting their own benefit, do no check the "married" box. You will need to run the calculator separately for their income...
…then the Social Security earnings test could result in some or all of your benefit being withheld. It could also result in withholding of benefits that anybody else is receiving on your work record (e.g., your spouse’sbenefit as your spouse). Specifically, the Social Security earnings tes...
Open Social Security A free, open-source Social Security strategy calculator Certain situations require additional input. Click here to select situation(s) that may apply to you (and/or your spouse, if filing jointly). Your Information Marital status Gender Date of birth Your primary insurance amo...
You can run these numbers yourself to see how it works by using an onlineSocial Security calculator. You can also talk to a financial planner for advice on how to plan your benefits. What Happens if One Spouse Dies? If your spouse passes away, you can collect asurvivor’s benefitas early...
Social SecurityEmployee BenefitsRetirementMortgagesFinancial PlanningPersonal Finance By Eric Reed Eric Reed is a freelance journalist based in Boston. Start Conversation TheStreet Daily Newsletter Sign up today for our free newsletter and you'll receive an exclusive report explaining hedge fund guru Doug...
Children qualify for benefits until turning 18 or 19 if they are still in school. Once the youngest child turns 16, the caregiver's benefits stop, and if the children are 18 or older, they, too, lose eligibility. This gap until the surviving spouse turns 60 creates a blackout period dur...
When it comes to Social Security, divorced spouse benefits work the same way as a regular spousal benefit: If you’re at full retirement age, you can get up to 50% of your spouse’s retirement benefit (assuming the resulting amount is higher than your ow
Your age when you start taking Social Security has a big impact on how much you receive in benefits each month. That’s because the Social Security Administration (SSA) pays a different amount depending on whether you start at age 62; at age 67 (that’s the full retirement age, or “FR...
What Percentage of Social Security Benefits Does a Widow Receive? Widows can receive up to 100% of the deceased spouse’s primary insurance amount (PIA). Widows of a divorced spouse (married for at least 10 years) are also eligible to collect up to 100% of the former spouse’s PIA—assu...
Workers can get a projection of their benefits at different retirement ages by using acalculatorthat's provided on the Social Security Administration website. Social Security provides a special minimum benefit for long-term low earners that was first enacted in 1972. You must have income for at ...