The lifespan of women, which is perceived to be longer than men’s, has been identified as one of the reasons why it is tough for them to enjoy smooth social security planning. This post is focused on providing women with the best tips on how to handle this scenario and achieve excellent results. The previous article discusses the steps to take to qualify for social security benefits. In this write-up, women will learn about several factors for making plans for their social security needs.
CHANGE OF NAME AS A RESULT OF DIVORCE OR MARRIAGE
Make sure you inform the officials of the Social Security Administration about your change of name if you just divorced from your partner, or just got married. If you fail to do so, your benefits may not be recorded, and this could lead to non-payment of your deserved benefits.
SOCIAL SECURITY DISABILITY BENEFITS
It has been noted that some women take a break to attend to home affairs such as childbearing and taking care of aged parents; this prevents some of them from meeting up with the required details for the qualification of social security disability benefits. Though staying at home to cater for the family should not be the primary reason, but you should know that it could make you lose disability coverage as you miss out on some days or months at work.
SPOUSAL BENEFITS
If you earn less than your partner in social retirement benefits, you are entitled to a spousal benefit to shore up the income gap. For instance, if your spouse earns a monthly benefit of $1,500 at his or her full retirement age (FRA) which is over 66 years and your work has earned you a monthly payment of $500, you will be paid an extra $250 which will amount to half of your partner’s benefit. The spousal benefit is a significant element that ensures financial security for you and your spouse in retirement, as women are known to earn lesser money than men while on active service.
WOMEN AND LONGEVITY
Women should consider the appropriate age they want to start receiving their social security as they are known to live longer than men, as mentioned above. A 65- year old woman is expected to live for another 22 years while a 65-year old man is supposed to live till the age of 84. It is important for women to choose because maybe they or their partners will postpone the receiving of their social security benefits until they are above their full retirement age. The value of the social retirement benefits tends to be increased by a percentage based on your date of birth if you defer retiring from work beyond the full retirement age. The best tip is for both spouses to choose if the one who earns a higher salary will defer social security benefits until the age of 70, so the substantial interest of the surviving spouse will be upheld, who in most cases, is the woman after the demise of the husband.
WIDOW OR PLANNING TO REMARRY
If you have a plan to marry again as a widow before attaining the age of sixty or fifty, as a person with a disability, it only means you cannot access the benefits of widowhood as long as you are married. You are entitled to receive payments of social security benefits if you remarry after reaching the age of sixty or are fifty with a disability. You can also apply for a spousal benefit if it is higher than the amount of your widow’s benefit and your new partner is a social security beneficiary. It is important to note that you cannot receive payments on both platforms.
Various factors must be considered before making a concrete decision about social security, and this post has analyzed some of them. Try to have a meeting with a reputable financial professional who can help you make the right decision. On average, women who are within the age bracket of 62 and above forms 56% part of the social security beneficiaries, while persons who are 85 years old and above are part of the 66% of the total number of the recipients. It is essential that you have a feasible plan as it will help you make the right choices.
About June Kirby
June Kirby has almost two decades of experience serving as a federal employee retirement trainer, strategy specialist, and advocate. Based on her extensive knowledge, she offers consultation on a host of federal retirement benefits and TSP maximization strategies. Ms. Kirby tirelessly travels the country to make herself available to hundreds of deserving, yet under-served federal and postal employees, federal agencies, unions, and organizations.
Simply Secure Financial and June Kirby are not affiliated with or endorsed by the U.S. Government, any governmental agency, or any federal benefits programs discussed herein. Your personal specialist at Simply Secure Financial may offer insurance services, and as such, is a licensed insurance professional with training and experience in federal employee benefits.
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