Full question: I’m a retired State of California employee and drawing a good pension. As a CalPERS member, I didn’t contribute to SS during my 28+ years working for the government agency in CA. I am 61 now and short one (1) quarter of qualifying for SS. (39qtrs) Is there a way to get a…

Full question: I care for my adult disabled children in my home, and I receive Medicaid waiver payments through the IRIS Program in the state of Wisconsin for doing so. Our fiscal agent is iLIFE in Milwaukee, WI. I’ve been a caregiver with the IRIS Program since 2013 when our youngest turned 18. I’ve always…

Full question: I am retired military and I retired from a Police Department that didn’t pay into Social Security. How would the GPO and WEP affect me if I was to collect a spousal benefit based on my wife’s earnings? Hi there, We are assuming that if the Police Department did not pay into Social…

Full question: I am 62, was married to my ex-spouse for 22 years, been divorced for 9 years, am not remarried, and have no dependents. My ex-spouse is a high earner and is 61 years old. My Social Security benefits are less than 50% of my ex-spouse benefits. I want to apply to receive my…

Hi there, Yes, we can help provide you with the information needed to coordinate with foreign countries. The US has “totalization agreements” with a number of other countries that coordinate Social Security coverage and benefit payments for individuals who have worked in both countries. You can learn more here. And for personalized advice, you can…

Full question: If I apply for Social Security at FRA, can I get half of my wife’s Social Security and let mine grow? She is 6 years older. Hi there, Unfortunately no, you cannot claim a spousal benefit and later switch to your own retirement benefit. When you apply for benefits, the SSA looks at…