Share This Episode
MoneyWise Rob West and Steve Moore Logo

3 Social Security Mistakes

MoneyWise / Rob West and Steve Moore
The Cross Radio
June 15, 2021 8:03 am

3 Social Security Mistakes

MoneyWise / Rob West and Steve Moore

On-Demand Podcasts NEW!

This broadcaster has 903 podcast archives available on-demand.

Broadcaster's Links

Keep up-to-date with this broadcaster on social media and their website.


June 15, 2021 8:03 am

We are often asked when is the right time for someone to start taking Social Security benefits. Should they only wait until full retirement age, or is it worth it to wait longer? On the next MoneyWise Live, host Rob West will cover 3 common mistakes people make when claiming benefits. Then he’ll answer your calls and questions on various financial topics. That’s the next MoneyWise Live—where biblical wisdom meets today’s finances, weekdays at 4pm Eastern/3pm Central on Moody Radio.

  • -->
YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE
MoneyWise
Rob West and Steve Moore

Listener told me a funny story the other day.

He had bought one of those fancy new exercise bikes and for him. It was without a doubt a very special tool to help them get healthier. The problem was three days went by him and for and he'd yet to use the bike and then on night five. He sitting at the kitchen table and he looks down at himself, and he couldn't help but just laughed because there he was wearing the exercise T-shirt that came with the bike and he was eating to corndogs. Hi, it's Doug Hastings with Moody radio and I think we'd all agree having a special tool only matters if we use it to our benefit and I love you guys to learn about my friends at United faith mortgage a very unique faith focused mortgage team with an advantageous tool just for you to see United faith mortgage is an arm of a bigger company who is a direct lender, which means they get to use their own money and make their own decisions is no middleman and often this advantage allows them to get you a better rate on your refinance or your new home purchase can save you monthly and lifelong money, so I'd encourage you check them out. United faith mortgage United faith mortgage is a DBA of United mortgage Corp. 25 Millville Park Rd., Melville, NY. Licensed mortgage banker for licensing information, go to an MLS consumer access.org corporate MLS number 1330. Equal housing lender not licensed in Alaska, Hawaii, Georgia, Massachusetts, North Dakota, South Dakota and Utah. Questions were asked a lot and when should I start taking my Social Security benefits and 62, or should I wait until full retirement age were longer Rob West. Strategies for claiming social benefits can be complicated and confusing and making a mistake could cost you a lot of money. So today will go over three common errors people make when claiming benefits.

It's audio calls at 800-525-7000 800-525-7000. This is moneywise live crossroad biblical truth, your finances, so as I said listeners frequently ask us when is the best time to start claiming there Social Security benefits. Most people can elect to start the mid age 62, before reaching full retirement age, which is now 66 or 67 depending on when you were born, and will count that as Social Security. Mistake number one claiming benefits early just because you can take your benefits at age 62 doesn't mean you should. Your benefit will be permanently reduced by 8% for each year you take them before your full retirement age at your benefit can be further reduced if you continue working after receiving your benefits and earn more than $18,960 for every two dollars you earn above that threshold, your benefit will be reduced by one dollar. The only good news there is that those benefits that are lost will be restored skews me incrementally.

Once you reach full retirement age, there's another reason you should think long and hard before taking Social Security benefits earlier if you're the higher wage earner. Your decision to take benefits early could impact not only you but also your spouse if your spouse survives you and has a lower Social Security benefit, he or she would be eligible to draw a survivor benefit while here's how that works upon your death, your surviving spouse can begin drawing what you were drawing prior to your death. That's the survivor benefit, but if you elect to take your benefit early your surviving spouse will be locked into that lower amount for life as well. So if you don't need the money. It's almost always best to wait as long as possible before claiming Social Security benefits and at least until full retirement age that by the way, your benefit will increase by 8% every year you wait beyond your full retirement age up to age 70. So that's an added incentive for waiting all right. The next common Social Security mistake is not drawing a spousal benefit. Now this one only applies to folks who were born on or before January 1, 1954. If you're married and reached full retirement age or FRA and you haven't drawn your own Social Security benefit you can to start decide to start receiving it then, or wait and let it build another 8% a year until age 71. A lot of people in that age range don't realize is that you can opt to take benefits but restrict them to spousal benefits only so as long as your spouse's file for benefits you'll be eligible to receive half of your spouse's full retirement age benefit.

The beauty is that your benefit, not the one based on your working career that continues to increase at 8% each year that you're not taking it but again they change the law in that situation only applies to folks who turned 62 by January 1, 2016 but if you're eligible for it.

You definitely want to take advantage of this provision.

It's a strategy that can brought provide some income now while locking in higher benefits later. It almost seems too good to be true.

And that's probably why they've eliminated it for most folks moving forward all right.

Our third and last Social Security mistake is not drawing benefits after a divorce that whether you divorced recently are quite a while ago.

You may think you're not eligible for a Social Security benefit from your ex-spouse. Fortunately, that's not the case. If your ex-spouse is still living.

You could qualify for a spousal benefit based on his or her work record. To qualify, you must been married for at least 10 years be at least age 62 and currently unmarried.

This is the case even if your ex-spouse has remarried. This is one scenario where Social Security seems almost generous to qualify, you had to of been married for at least 10 years be at least age 60 or older and currently unmarried, you may still be eligible though. After 60 married so these are helpful to see these are some mistakes that people often make their Social Security and I hope this gives you some added incentive to check out what benefit the next morning, moneywise. Thanks for joining us today is moneywise live by your financial decisions.

Here's the number we got some lines open 800-525-7000 were to dive into your questions and comments in just a moment. 800-525-7000 now. Why take an hour each day to talk about money, even money from a biblical perspective. Is it because we want to build bigger barns. Absolutely not.

You know, as we think about money belonging to God and therefore we are then stewards or managers of that money becomes a tool to accomplish God's purposes and there is so much in God's word dealing with the subject because I believe it's often the chief competitor to lordships out each day.

On this program we want to try to put money in its proper role, recognizing that our hearts follow our money and that when we understand it's a reflection of what we value it tells a story about what's most important to us. It really is a game changer about how we handle it literally every penny because it moves us from thinking 10% belongs to the Lord, and 90% belongs to us to 100% of it belongs to the Lord and the question is how can we be found faithful in managing God's money. What we want to know God's heart.

So we go to God's word to find out what he has for us to work and apply those principles to whatever's going on in your financial life. We got one line open 800-525-7000 were to begin today in central Minnesota. Kristen thank you for calling. How can I help you out, creating a rental that are currently running out you you that I doubt amount currently and/or should we wait in place that yes yeah that's a great question because there is no question that the use cars are quite expensive right now and there are some real incentives out there to buy new were certainly not in the camp of saying that we can never buy new no I don't think that's the issue at all.

I think the question is how are you gonna funded and are you buying perhaps more car than you can afford to.

You have the money to put down to either buy with cash or a significant down payment and how does it compare in terms of what you're spending now for a new car with a full warranty versus a late-model used car that's two or three years old. Obviously the benefit of buying used would be that you've missed some of that depreciation that you would typically experience when you buy it off the lot. But if we find ourselves like we do in many respects right now in a situation where use cars are been elevated in expense and there are some great incentives out there to buy new. You might find that you can actually get a bit more car for your money by buying new, especially when you factor in the benefit of the warranty so telling Kristin how are you looking to fund it.

How much are you planning to spend and would you need to borrow and keep that around 45,000 by looking again. You need to set our okay very good and have you started shopping to see if you can find something in a one of the things that I was just blown away by the last time we went shopping and by the way, we tend to buy used.

Although we have bought new cars in the past and the way we get away with that as we drive them for a long long time. We bought our my wife's last minivan actually knew because were some phenomenal deals out there was the end of the model year and the end of the month and we did very well that we drove it for over 200,000 must fit the holes and then we basically turned and then in the sense so that worked out quite well for us, but it's amazing how expensive SUVs, especially the larger ones are these days so you know that would be my only concern is can you get the car, the size SUV you want for your family with some of the features when buying new if you're trying to buy for cash or does your budget really require that you you know by something two or three years old. What if you found go out your hired Alec my ring out. I doubt think, yes, yes I think that's good to be the key is in.

Are you comfortable spending more than a bit more than you had planned and you know so often you're going to be enticed by some of these sticker prices when you get in there though, you're gonna realize perhaps they don't have some of the features you are looking for and you're gonna want to hire model which is going to quickly push you up in a 5000 or more.

So I think that's the consideration is would you rather stick to your budget. What you say be able to buy with cash which I love get the features you want and that you know perhaps you'll go used two or three years old or can you know do you have the room in your budget to spend a little bit more because used car prices are a bit elevated right now and there are some great incentives out there.

So I think you're just gonna have to shop that around, but I would start with your budget.

You and your husband determining in advance what you want to spend and let's not get a push beyond that just because you use cars are a bit more expensive right now. Make sure you do your homework.

Your auto trader is gonna be your friend. You want to make sure that especially if you decide to go knew that you really shop it to my last car that I purchased. I flew four states away to make the purchase and drove it home just because I knew what I wanted and I researched it for about 30 days and found the one that I wanted for about 10,000 less if I was willing to jump on an airplane. So I think you'll figure it out over time.

I don't care which way you go, I think the key is don't go beyond what your budget is and make sure you do your homework and we appreciate your call today. Let's head to Illinois. Susie, thank you for your patience. I can help you.

I am planning to retire it or your rate H for years and not but I would have lived 78 actually H so really year there were cart wanted you know that you know Glenn, I did need to catch up finish that thought, yeah, yeah, you know I'm thinking you know, if I let it be that old extinct like I working for like over 40 aerosol like maybe 28% of the old retired Sherpa at number 20 here. Susie and I appreciate you weighing in on this. You know what we generally say is you should consider taking benefits early. If you're no longer working and you really need the money. If you're in poor health and don't expect the surviving member of the household to make it to average life expectancy, which obviously none of us know that we can make the best decision we can, or if you're the lower earning spouse in your higher earning spouse can wait to file for a higher benefit, thereby locking in that higher payout down the road which you could switch to, but it makes sense to go ahead and wait if you're still working you make enough to you impact the taxability of your benefits, you're in good health or your the higher earning spouse and want to be sure your surviving spouse receives the highest possible benefit and keep in mind that life expectancy increases the 82 and 83 for men and women. Once you reach age 65, but I realize you're giving up those years were you could enjoy it.

So I think there's not a right or wrong answer for any of us.

I think the key is that we just need to look at to all the factors starting with your budget. Seeing how you can make ends meet. Whether or not you need the money and then factor in the added benefit to lifestyle and other opportunities by taking that now versus being able to continue to work and lock in that higher amount later.

One of the real benefits to letting it grow. If you have the ability to work is for those folks who find themselves where the retirement income sources.

They have whitening so there really counting on that increase payout of time to be able to make work. Obviously, all of that make the right decision called the Torah, moneywise. I just look back to moneywise live. So glad to have you along with us today. Phone lines are open 800-525-7000.

Let's go back to the phones, Pompano Beach, Florida just north of where I was born Casey, thank you for going today. How can I help you in real quick I find out for like six years of the current interest there and it only grows if I had money to it and better placement of habit because it does not really create. Can you recommend someplace I should transfer to their chair of up to 50 for doing the yeah not see you. Since retirement account is an IRA.

Casey errors in their old 401(k) with the previous employer.

What type of account is no weird old retirement account will ever bring about oh old account from what we were Washington Mutual so I don't know the necessary exactly what kind of individual retirement account, occult got yes it's an IRA which basically you could transfer to another institution or you could leave it there and chase bank you know I think the key is that you are actively contributing to retirement. Assuming you have an emergency fund in place and you don't have any high-interest credit card debt that you're paying on tell me about your active contributions to other retirement accounts. Are you contributing at work do you actively putting some time for the future work, retirement, great okay so what I would probably do Casey is transfer this to one of the firms that offers what I would call a Robo advisor solution which is basically a low-cost investment strategy where based on algorithms that are generated using answers you provide to the questions they will ask it will generate a low-cost really well diversified portfolio of what are called index ETF so these are exchange traded funds. Think about them as baskets of investments that mirror the broad market indexes like the S&P 500 or the Russell work it out index indexes like that.

The benefit of that is with the small amount of money you not to be highly concentrated in let's say one particular company that may have a bad quarter you will be out-of-favor and then you could see significant declines and their very low cost. So I would look to open an IRA at either betterment. Schwab with their Schwab intelligent portfolios or the Vanguard advisor solution. They're all very similar. They use a similar strategy and they're all very low cost. Once you open an IRA at one of those betterment. Schwab intelligent portfolios or the Vanguard advisor. You could then transfer that IRA from Chase over to one of those and then that money would be deployed using that strategy that I described.

I think that's going to give you what you're looking for, because you can monitor it in the smart phone app or on the website you'll know that it's your properly invested with broad diversification you're not spending a lot of money in fees and you'll just capture the long-term moves of the market, which over the long haul between now and retirement should do quite well based on historical averages does all that make sense though excellent.

All right, I would give that to try. If you have questions along the way, don't hesitate to give us a call back and we appreciated but let's head to Fort Lauderdale, Florida, just south of the Pompano Beach, where Rita is, go right ahead, I would kindly guide my head and I are both 66 and he's thinking about taking don't listen to your beginning you know I met at the beginning of the program about the security thinking.

We don't need that many can work to use it on right now, but he wants to continue to work. He's not sure how much longer I start drying kind of afraid. Maybe the government might take it away for security. I don't think they could do that but I key won't get when you really need city rate to 70 yeah it's a great question Rita and you know each of us as to make the decision on her own semi.

Here's the reason I would consider waiting is if you don't need the money right now you have your income covered in terms of meeting your obligations and he's four years away any changes that are to be made to Social Security which changes will need to be made because the trust fund is gonna run dry. By 2035, which means they're either going to have to raise the full retirement age or cut benefits or do something else to shore up the suit Social Security trust fund. I believe that's can affect folks that are coming after him and so the ability to build a walk in this higher payout that you all will be able to enjoy news to give away. For additional expenses or saving think would be a real blessing at the end of the day he's gotta make that decision.

I will say though cutting Social Security for folks as close to drawing as he is very unpopular and I think a policy standpoint very difficult to get through Congress. So I think he's in good shape the way but ultimately all need to do the thing will the best about to pray about it together and see where the Lord leads, if it were me, I probably appreciate your call to pause and take a quick break all the lines are full, so will get to your call. Just around the corner with his son moneywise live today when we apply God's wisdom to today's financial decisions.

Questions ask if you downloaded the moneywise that not check out the dates in your app store to search for moneywise biblical finance.

You can connect with all of our content from our content providers. You can post a question. The moneywise community and you can build your spending plan using our digital envelope system. Our team spent a couple years putting it together and it is phenomenal. It's the best digital envelope system I've ever used. You can connect seamlessly and quickly to all of your institutions automatically download and categorize your transactions in the know exactly where you stand in every one of your envelopes. The envelope system is the tried-and-true system that Larry Burket recommended that years ago. His was a paper system. We put that into a into a nap in the palm of your hand. I think you'll love it.

Just search for moneywise biblical finance. When you visit your app store today are, let's go back to the phones. Charles is in Hobe sound, Florida Charles, thank you for your patience.

I can assist you clarify what allotments are all that I have a question. The first one better tell her she have to get the number before they can relate money to secondly and have any medical buildout spam and will not come out a lot or work did you say if he has medical bills outstanding. Yet while you will need medical bid outstanding cannot come out a lot about yeah so basically to your first question that your father-in-law's insurance company does need her Social Security your tax ID to report interest payments in any taxable gain to the IRS interest is paid on most life insurance claims from the date of death until the date the claim is paid, and so just based on that. That's why they're asking for the social or the tax ID with regard to the of the proceeds of the insurance that's going to pass directly to the beneficiary not be a part of the estate, which would be the assets that would be used to settle any outstanding debts, including medical debt, so that shouldn't apply here, but sorry to hear about your father-in-law's passing. I know, as she is now the next steward of these resources we ask. I will ask the Lord to give her some wisdom, and how you'll handle this but to appreciate your call today. Charles very much, let's head next to Chicago, Illinois Tina, thank you for your call. How can I help maybe that I had at one anyway, to cut it with Kate. He could go.

It is possible. Was it a paper bond that was given to the physical bond. What that could be you.

I see okay the place to go is the website treasury direct.gov that's the Treasury Department's website for handling bonds and if you have a paper US savings bonds law stolen or destroyed.

You can obtain a replacement bond of the treasury keeps records of the paper savings bonds. It is issued and you can search those records to replace it. So when you go to treasury direct.gov. There's a form there.

1048 and this is a form specifically for claiming loss, stolen or destroyed US savings bonds you need to provide all the information you have. Ideally, you have a picture of that piece of paper. I suspect you don't. So there are other ways to search for it, but that's can be the.

The next place to go so treasury direct.gov and then search for claiming a lost US savings bond and they'll take you from there you get started by filling out the paperwork. They'll be in touch and let's hope that they can chase it down for you is some good light on what to tell yet. It's possible with the death certificate in providing all the information you should be able to still chase that down. You have to prove that he is in fact to the one who should have received it but it still had to the same place though give you very clear instructions on how you should proceed and hopefully you can you can chase us down and find what you're looking for Tina thank you for your call today to Kansas City, Missouri Jamie have been very patient.

How can I help you calling in regards to your question at the beginning of the program. I sure that I understand it correctly on my kick out my security when I turned 18 K years ago and I did that because Mike had been.

He's going to be working. Tell me the extra 57 and then when he turned to go ahead and retire and take at it. I can change around my eye when I received two half of here are bad now larger and off of him because I was confused about whether or not that that which you had said earlier, whether I had not had to be. I had taken it out there for 2016. No that's not right.

That's what I was saying earlier is that what a lot of people don't realize is that you can opt to take your benefits restrict them to the spousal benefits only and then let your benefits based on your wages actually continue to grow, so as long as your spouse's file for benefits you're eligible to receive half of your spouse's full retirement age benefit and then your benefit continues to increase of 8% a year that you're not taking it but again they change that law that only applies to folks who turn 62 by January 1, 2016. In your case, you actually took your benefit and you're eventually going to look at the possibility of switching to claiming a portion of your husband's benefit. That's not falling under the same deadline that's really only for those who take the spousal benefit early and let their wage-based working career benefits don't continue to accrue over time so that when I was describing earlier is a quite a bit different than what you've done here and what you've done is a great strategy makes a lot of sense. So I like the direction you went with that and that we appreciate your call very much.

Let's quickly go to Chicago CF.

Thank you for calling.

We ducked just about a minute before next breakout can help you. Hi, thanks.

Take my call can hear me okay yes ma'am wonderful about thing as a step management account and do you have names of companies that would have been like that when you say a self managed account.

Cf. you just mean where the investments are selected for you for you when our trail.

I would collect I would select my got yeah you know just about any of the discount brokerage houses are going to allow you to make your own investment decisions if that's what you choose so you can open an account at Charles Schwab you can open one that Ameritrade you can open one Vanguard you really any of the low-cost brokerages will let you a Fidelity would be another one you open a Roth fund it with however much you want up to the maximum each year. And then you're able to pick from any stock, bond or mutual fund you want. As you begin to manage so I look at either Charles Schwab or Fidelity and then just tell them you want to make your own decisions which make that deposit. You can start trading you hang up when I want to send you a copy of the sound mind investing handbook to help you out of great biblically-based resource on investing moneywise lives there with us so that he lived with us in moneywise like today. I'm Rob West taking calls and questions 800 525 is the number to call it hundred 525-7000. Let's head back to the phones, Naperville, Illinois, Teresa, thank you for your call today. How can I help hello I am trying to reroute Medicare. I work full-time and I believe I heard on a prior program you mentioned to Scott that with your employer and I did reach out to them but they they really didn't and I get very confused about what to do and if I have to do Medicare or I can put it off or do I have to file something let him know I get time I I'm not sure what to do. You tell me a little bit about your situation, your age, whether you still working and so forth. I bargain to be turning 55 in August. I work full-time and make a real good salary and I'm not planning on retiring anytime and work as long as I can and I have money in 401(k) to 401(k) well when I transferred, prior wire and then I have some debt gold that I went to grad school late on paying that off and I'm so I'm still that part of the reason I work and I make a good salary.

So I didn't want to lose the advantage of putting more money away for retirement and I'm currently alone, though I'm married… With my file okay very good and the Teresa do you have group health insurance offered to you through work yet okay yeah well that's the key. So if you have group health insurance from an employer, where you actively work after age 65. You can delay enrolling in Medicare until the employment ends or the coverage stops, whichever happens first.

Without incurring any late penalties. If you enroll later when the employer tied coverage ends though, you're entitled to a special enrollment period of up to eight months to sign up for Medicare. So the active employment is the key idea though you can't delay Medicare enrollment without penalty. If your coverage comes from retiree benefits or cobra, which doesn't count as active employment, but in your case you're actively employed you with a group health plan in place and so you would be able to wait on at that point, the key would be once you start working you want to go ahead and then begin taking the Medicare benefits. At that point so you don't have any late penalties or anything like that.

So I think you're in a pretty good shape as long as you're continuing to work and when that time comes with the Lord a redirection. I think at that point would be the time to go ahead and look at your filing so we appreciate your call today. Hopefully that's helpful to you and thank you for listening let's take an email today questions in moneywise.org is how you can get your email into us, we'd love to hear from you questions@moneywise.org are an email today comes from Jake in Wisconsin. Here's what he writes. He says Rob how I strike the balance between giving and providing for my family and I love this question because really at the heart of it is a desire to be found faithful in honoring the Lord with all that he's entrusted to us and you know I love what Paul David Tripp says about this. He says you know if we start with provision. The idea that were to provide for our families, which is a good thing.

It's biblical. The problem is we start there we can end up with an endless list of needs and wants that causes us to never get to the giving side. The challenge with that is that the gospel stories a generosity story. We were created in the image of the ultimate giver and I would like to say were most like him when were giving so how would you then approach this Jake I'd say. First, pray and ask the Lord what lifestyle he's called you and your spouse to live, how much of your money. I would ask the Lord am I to give and how much to spend on myself or my family and save for the future and then whatever the Lord tells you I'd build that giving plan right into the budget first right off the top, then an amount for savings or debt reduction. Your priorities and then I'd live on the rest, and perhaps you set a goal to increase giving over time. Not when there is money left because there won't be any. If you don't have a plan to do it. So perhaps the plan is to get out of debt and then not increase lifestyle spending but redirect that to additional giving, and I think that really is the key. Guess what, when you do that that will really help to decrease taxes so that you can give even more which creates this virtuous cycle like to talk about so I think yell as you think and pray about this the Lord to give you some real weird direction and I would start there and then the sea where he might lead. We appreciate your call today. I let's head back to the phones Harvey is calling today and that we appreciate your call Harvey. How can I help you will call.

I have a question about search.

Show you mentioned about the different options.

It is offering now will not benefit Indian changes have been made since I started the church attorney when I was 66 and eight years ago and still working full time and end hours and accumulate Social Security. I reimbursed that in no market or whatever and so object power longer. Any opportunities that could maximize Social Security since I started retirement when reading done to start early retirement because crystal ball as to how long some out there so I was pretty much told that it would take me told me in my 80s to catch up with waiting for years so early and not lose the right decision, but I was on your comments on that. I appreciate that Harvey and I think you when you elected to take it you've got a locked in your benefit apart from a cost-of-living adjustment. So the key right now is just to be asking the Lord based on the resources you have the income the provision that he's a providing house. The best way to manage that and handle it and you were not to see any increases necessarily in Social Security. There's not a better way to structure that I think you once you decided to take it. That is the benefit apart from. Again, any cost-of-living adjustments that are done across the board.

So the key now is just to be found faithful in handling what you've been entrusted according to God's principles limiting lifestyle and giving generously and staying out of debt really just asking the Lord to give you a clear vision for how you can use his money as a tool to accomplish his purposes in this exciting season of life. So I think you're on the right track.

Sounds like you're incredibly thoughtful guy, wanting to be found faithful in managing the Lord's resources and I would just say keep it up. I keep up the good work. But with regard to changes you can make in Social Security. Things are pretty much set right now and so you just want to live well within your means and we appreciate your call today I listed next to a Michigan Laura, thank you for your patience. I can help you out there Charity and I waited long as you can direct where Mary and I had to make more money and he had if you average passed away that A*10 years or whatever. So maybe you should take yourself security now like black and he can enjoy and if he can't Delay earlier then you can get his scope of security which would be more. Enjoy your predicting it get their perspective and I don't know what to think. Yeah well there's no question that just based on historical norms and trends in the information we have men predecease their wives and so the opportunity is to maximize that benefit to the best of your ability. And that's why if you qualify being able to take a spousal benefit and let a primary wage earner's money, increase the Social Security benefits increase can make a lot of sense.

Just because then that the larger amount you both will enjoy to its maximum hill get the most benefits he can and you as a spouse. If it's higher than any potential benefit you had coming to you based on your own working career could enjoy that higher payout as well, which would really maximize what you have.

If you both claim benefits.

Now you just have to know that you're both under full retirement age so you're going to lose those benefits now and in the future. So here's what I would do.

Laura is probably not contact somebody at the Social Security administration there very easy to work with and talk to. Especially during COBIT bill due virtual visits and just look at everything that's there have them run some analysis on what is the best way to maximize it and that you can set that up@ssa.gov.

Just keep in mind though that if he takes his benefits early that will affect the amount you receive in the future as a survivor and so that's again where I think it's beneficial, despite what you're saying about no longevity and expected ages. It's beneficial to try to maximize that if you don't need the money today, but clearly if you do that, I would say you take it. Enjoy it. You've worked hard for it and then the just has to learn to give you some real clarity about how to move forward with what he's entrusted to you. We appreciate your call today, very, very much for folks that's going to do it for us today. We appreciate you listening calling. We cover the waterfront on Social Security today, which is always lots of questions about how to handle Social Security as a thank you to my team today. Rich arousal providing research what is effective in Anderson's engineering today Deb Solomon who is producing today thanks to you for being here, but he was love is a partnership between the radio and moneywise media. I hope you come back and join us tomorrow will be back to do it all over again. Great episode plan for you tomorrow talking about that's right will see that government should have