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TheĀ Benefits Blog

The Benefits Blog provides expert insights, updates, and strategies on Social Security and Medicare, tailored for financial professionals looking to enhance their knowledge and better serve their clients. Stay informed with the latest developments and tips to maximize benefits for your clients.

Can a Widower Switch to His Own Work Record and Backdate Benefits? delayed retirement credits (drc) hey marc! Apr 25, 2024

I have a client, widower (July, 2016), has been drawing a surviving spouse benefit since he was eligible and just turned 70 on March 1, 2024.  He is wants to switch over to his work record, which he has been delaying. My question is, will he be able to back date his election to his own work...

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Can Social Security Benefits Be Suspended After Age 67 Without Repayment? delayed retirement credits (drc) full retirement age (fra) hey marc! program operations manual system (poms) Apr 10, 2024

My client, age 67, is currently collecting his SS benefits. He called SSA to suspend his benefit so he could start to receive DRC’s. SSA told him he could only do so if he paid back the SS benefits that he had received so far. She said that was a recent rule change. Is that correct? If not,...

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Can a Divorced Spouse Claim Ex-Spousal Benefits and Delay Their Own? deemed filing delayed retirement credits (drc) divorce hey marc! spousal benefit boost Mar 08, 2023

I just wanted to clarify my last email and I thank you so much for your expertise and help. I have a sixty-two-year-old woman who was married to a gentleman for over fourteen years they divorced ten years ago.  She never remarried, he did. He is now seventy-two and drawing Social Security...

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Do Social Security Statements Include Delayed Retirement Credits (DRCs)? delayed retirement credits (drc) hey marc! Feb 22, 2023

Do Social Security statements include DRC’s?

Yes, Social Security benefit statements do include Delayed Retirement Credits (DRCs). DRCs are earned when you delay taking your Social Security benefits beyond your Full Retirement Age (FRA). For every month you delay taking benefits past FRA,...

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How Delayed Retirement Credits (DRCs) Affect Your Social Security Benefits delayed retirement credits (drc) hey marc! Jan 04, 2023

I have a question about starting retirement benefits after FRA. I understand that if someone turns 68 in February 2023 and they start benefits any time after FRA month in 2023, then the monthly benefit amount will not increase for DRCs. Individual will only receive his/her PIA. For example, if...

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Social Security Benefits for a Disabled Child: Choosing the Right Parent's Record delayed retirement credits (drc) full retirement age (fra) hey marc! primary insurance amount (pia) spousal benefit boost Jul 08, 2022

The husband is FRA but plans to continue working as an orthodontist and is eligible for the max benefit based on his income. He has a 20-year-old disabled child with Down Syndrome. His spouse has been talking with the Social Security Administration and was told the child is eligible for $680...

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How Social Security Applies DRCs and COLA: Understanding the Process cola delayed retirement credits (drc) hey marc! primary insurance amount (pia) Jan 05, 2022

I have a client who delayed his benefit after FRA for 4 months which equates to a total of $60 (DRC) which will be added in January. His current benefit is $3,488 a month gross.  What is the order of applying DRCs and COLA or is this a simultaneous calculation?

When it comes to applying...

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Why Delayed Retirement Credits (DRCs) Arenā€™t Reflected Immediately delayed retirement credits (drc) full retirement age (fra) hey marc! Oct 13, 2021

We have a client who called SSA. My primary question is how could the client be getting the exact same amount of Benefit if he files in November compared to filing at FRA this past July. To me it doesn’t make sense but she swears she called three times. Three SSA representatives, and they...

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Do Surviving Spouse Benefits Include Delayed Retirement Credits (DRCs)? delayed retirement credits (drc) hey marc! primary insurance amount (pia) spousal benefits Oct 13, 2021

I understood that surviving spouse benefits include any Delayed Retirement Credits (DRCs) earned by the deceased. However, I found information online stating that if a person dies before age 70 after delaying benefits past Full Retirement Age, the surviving spouse only receives benefits based on...

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Maximizing Social Security Benefits: Widow's Benefits vs. Delayed Retirement Credits delayed retirement credits (drc) hey marc! widower benefit Oct 06, 2021

I have a client who is considering waiting to age 70 to draw her benefit. Her husband started drawing his benefit at age 66.  There are 9 years difference in their ages. He is currently 67 and she is 58. If she postpones this decision and he dies before she reaches age 70, is she able to...

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