{"id":9434,"date":"2025-02-01T08:00:00","date_gmt":"2025-02-01T08:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/riverbend.objectivebrand.com\/?p=9434"},"modified":"2025-02-01T02:10:55","modified_gmt":"2025-02-01T02:10:55","slug":"social-security-survivor-benefits","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/riverbend.objectivebrand.com\/?p=9434","title":{"rendered":"Social Security Survivor Benefits Demystified – Finger Financial Five #199"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
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\n\t\t\t\t\"For life and death are one, even as the river and the sea are one\"\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t

\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tKahlil Gibran<\/cite>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/path><\/svg>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tTweet<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/blockquote>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Many people do not understand how their filing decision for Social Security can affect their spouse<\/a>. Also, many surviving spouses are not aware of the options they have and what is best to choose.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>

The following is to an attempt to clarify any confusion\u2026\u00a0<\/p>

Social Security Survivor Benefits Demystified<\/strong>\u00a0<\/h2>

When making any financial decision, the goal should generally be to put the odds in our favor for the long run<\/u>. The best way to do that is usually to plan in advance. If we are anticipatory<\/u>, we can zoom out and see the full landscape before making a decision. If we are reactionary<\/u>, we can fall into the trap of making a decision that seems right today but is not right in the long-run.\u00a0<\/p>

One of the large decisions that we will face is when to file for Social Security<\/a><\/u>. (It actually can be a series of decisions, especially for spouses.) We want to plan not only for ourselves today, but especially for our spouse for tomorrow.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>

We must plan for various outcomes, and use the probabilities to inform our decisions. One potential outcome to prepare for is if one spouse were to pass away while the other spouse lives on for an extended period. This is where Social Security Survivor Benefits <\/u>come into play.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>

What Are Survivor Benefits?<\/strong>\u00a0<\/h3>

Survivor benefits are monthly payments you may qualify for based on your deceased spouse\u2019s Social Security record. Even if you are both still alive, planning for this potential outcome in advance can result in a higher total lifetime benefit.\u00a0<\/p>

Survivor benefits are very straightforward in this following scenario:<\/u>\u00a0<\/p>

The higher lifetime earning spouse is already receiving their benefit when they pass away AND the surviving spouse is over<\/u> Full Retirement Age (FRA). In this instance, the surviving spouse should simply take the higher of the 2 benefits going forward.\u00a0<\/p>

Survivor benefits become more complicated in this scenario:<\/u>\u00a0<\/p>

The surviving spouse is under<\/u> Full Retirement Age (FRA) when their spouse passes away. Now they have 2 decisions: 1:<\/u><\/strong> When to file for their own benefit, AND 2:<\/u><\/strong> When to file for the survivor benefit. (We\u2019ll discuss how to navigate that in a minute.)\u00a0<\/p>

Who Qualifies?<\/strong>\u00a0<\/h3>

You may be eligible for survivor benefits if you are at least 60 years old<\/u> (or 50-59 if disabled), AND you meet one of the following two criteria:\u00a0<\/p>