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Your Social Security Questions Answered

Read answers to reader-submitted Social Security questions from Martha Shedden, RSSA’s CLO, and her team of experts. Submit your own question to Martha here.

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Should my wife claim her Social Security benefits now or later and what about her spousal benefits?

Full question: I am 70 and deferred claiming until now, receiving my first check this month. My wife turns 62 this December and we’re trying to determine whether to claim hers at that time or how advantageous it might be to have her wait until 67. Not sure how the spousal benefits rules impact this….

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I received an overpayment and now owe the SSA money. How is this fair?

Full question: (I am an American citizen) Is it fair that I paid into Social Security and obeyed the rules while working in the USA until I came to Portugal and began working here where I then paid into Social Security here and obeyed all the rules? My pension original pension from the states was…

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Should I switch from my Survivor benefit to my own Social Security retirement benefit?

Full question: I currently receive Survivor benefits and I’m wondering what my own Social Security benefit would pay. I am 65 and full retirement age is 66+4. Should I wait until I’m 70 to collect my own and will I ever be able to collect 100% of deceased husbands? Hi there, If you are collecting…

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What is the best claiming strategy if you are eligible to collect both Social Security and Railroad Retirement?

Full question: Is there a strategy if you have both Railroad retirement credits, my case 13 years’ worth and about 27 years of Social Security credits. Turn on one before or at FRA then switch to the other to get the delay credits from Social Security? Hello, Railroad Retirement and Social Security can be very…

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Should I collect Social Security or Railroad Retirement?

Full question: I receive Social Security because it is more than Railroad Retirement. Is it wise to switch over to Railroad Retirement like my husband- he is an RR retiree? Hi there, The Railroad Retirement and Social Security can be very situational. Meaning that depending on your situation, the answer may change. In some cases,…

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How does a teaching pension impact Social Security survivor benefits?

Full question: My mom (68 years old) is receiving survivor benefits and is in the process of selecting an annuity option from TRS. She doesn’t have 40 credits and paid into TRS only. We’ve been prepping and searching for answers on IF and how a partial lump-sum option affects the government pension offset, GPO. Do…

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