# Filed for Social Security



## Leann (Feb 14, 2022)

A new phase in my life, I filed for Social Security.


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## dseag2 (Feb 14, 2022)

So happy for you.  I filed for Social Security when I turned 63.  I didn't want to draw from my investments, which could make much more than if I had waited to draw from Social Security at 70.  Now I'm just waiting for 65 when I can access Medicare.  Never thought I would actually look forward to getting older!


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## Chris P Bacon (Feb 14, 2022)

A bird in the hand, my brother, a bird in the hand!
I did pretty much the same, for much the same why.


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## mathjak107 (Feb 15, 2022)

I took mine at 65 since I had to much income coming in from doing things I like to do ….now that i am hitting 70 we are further a head by Me filing early then we would have been delaying .

we were fronting ourselves the ss we were not getting and spending down money that could be invested if we had the ss .plus my wife couldn’t get a 4500 dollar a year spousal benefit until I filed .

so filing earlier for us was well worth doing vs delaying ..


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## hollydolly (Feb 15, 2022)

This is where it gets confusing for us Non Americans on the forum. Filing for Social Security in the UK is not a good thing..( which it clearly seems to be in the USA).. here, it means signing for unemployment benefit.


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## mathjak107 (Feb 15, 2022)

hollydolly said:


> This is where it gets confusing for us Non Americans on the forum. Filing for Social Security in the UK is not a good thing..( which it clearly seems to be in the USA).. here, it means signing for unemployment benefit.


It gets confusing here too for us Americans …

lots of ladies here went to the UK and were disappointed to find out Big Ben was only a clock


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## Devi (Feb 15, 2022)

In America, Social Security is NOT about unemployment benefits.

Social Security is something you pay into while you work (actually, they just take it out of your earnings). When you reach a certain age, you can "file" for SS and get a monthly check or direct deposit into your bank account. What you get monthly is based on how much you paid in, how early you filed, and other parameters.

Medicare is also something (that I believe) you pay into when you're working (but someone correct me if I'm wrong). Many medical establishments will take Medicare instead of your paying cash or having other insurance (that you pay for) for their services. Or Medicare will slash the doctor/hospital bill, pay most of what's left, and you'll get a very tiny bill, if anything at all.

In my opinion, it's quite a good thing. Wasn't crazy about the payments while I was working, but it's sure great now.

ADDED: Not all medical services take Medicare — for instance, dental and eye issues are not covered.


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## hollydolly (Feb 15, 2022)

I know it's Not about unemployment in the USA but it's confusing for us in the UK when we hear someone is claiming it there because it's unemployment benefits here...

What you're referring to as Social security,  is called a Private Pension here


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## Alligatorob (Feb 15, 2022)

hollydolly said:


> What you're referring to as Social security, is called a Private Pension here


Is it "Private" even if provided by the government?

Social Security in the US is a government pension.

Oh, and @Leann good for you!  Congratulations.


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## Remy (Feb 15, 2022)

Leann said:


> A new phase in my life, I filed for Social Security.


Was it easy or complicated? I will qualify later this year but don't know when I'll actually file for it.


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## hollydolly (Feb 15, 2022)

Alligatorob said:


> Is it "Private" even if provided by the government?
> 
> Social Security in the US is a government pension.
> 
> Oh, and @Leann good for you!  Congratulations.


Private pension is something we pay into ourselves from our salaries..often topped up by our employers.. State pensions are paid by the government on retirement


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## Alligatorob (Feb 15, 2022)

hollydolly said:


> Private pension is something we pay into ourselves from our salaries..often topped up by our employers.. State pensions are paid by the government on retirement


Maybe similar, we have to pay into Social Security and our employers also contribute.  Upon retirement our Social Security is based on how much and how long we paid in, but it is paid by the government.


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## hollydolly (Feb 15, 2022)

Alligatorob said:


> Maybe similar, we have to pay into Social Security and our employers also contribute.  Upon retirement our Social Security is based on how much and how long we paid in, but it is paid by the government.


yes our state pensions  are dependant on how long and how much has been paid in....most people have to have a private pension to top up their state pension otherwise it woould be very difficult to survive on it alone..


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## MickaC (Feb 15, 2022)

Here’s my 2 cents worth.
In Canada.....we have one called Canada Pension Plan.....amounts are deducted from pay checks, employer matches.....can be drawn out as early as 60.
What you call Social Security.....we call Old Age Pension.....government pays full amount, we don’t contribute to it......collected at 65.....I believe it’s the same amount, for the rich or poor.


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## hollydolly (Feb 15, 2022)

MickaC said:


> Here’s my 2 cents worth.
> In Canada.....we have one called Canada Pension Plan.....amounts are deducted from pay checks, employer matches.....can be drawn out as early as 60.
> What you call Social Security.....we call Old Age Pension.....government pays full amount, we don’t contribute to it......collected at 65.....I believe it’s the same amount, for the rich or poor.


who are you talking to..me or @Alligatorob ?

if me.. then our Private pensions can be taken at 55, and is paid in to a private pension pot bu ys and topped up by some employers ( not all) ... ...The state pension ( also used to be called Old age pension here too).. is what we pay into in deuctions from our salaries all our working lives, as long as we earn over approx £11,000 PA... .. and is paid back to us at a much tinier amount.. by the state when we retire...


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## MickaC (Feb 15, 2022)

hollydolly said:


> who are you talking to..me or @Alligatorob ?
> 
> if me.. then our Private pensions can be taken at 55, and is paid in to a private pension pot bu ys and topped up by some employers ( not all) ... ...The state pension ( also used to be called Old age pension here too).. is what we pay into in deuctions from our salaries all our working lives, as long as we earn over approx £11,000 PA... .. and is paid back to us at a much tinier amount.. by the state when we retire...


Wasn’t talking to anyone in particular......just posting.


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## Alligatorob (Feb 15, 2022)

MickaC said:


> Here’s my 2 cents worth.


That is interesting, I guess most countries have some form of government associated pensions. 

Our Social Security is in theory paid for by the employee and employer contributions, they are supposed to go into a kind of trust fund that then pays our pensions when we retire.  However the government has always spent the Social Security contributions as they come in and then pay for the pensions as they arise.  No real "fund". 

Our payments are a function of how much we contribute, so people who made more money get more money.  However it is capped and the wealthy get about the same as the upper middle class.  Currently the maximum payment is a bit over $4,000/month, that is for the higher earners who wait to retire at age 70.  You can begin collecting at age 63, but get less.

The other thing we have is the ability to contribute some earnings pretax to savings that is then taxed as withdrawn after retirement, usually.  There are a number of complicated programs, 401k is the most famous.  This can be significant, for some folks 25% or more of income can be set aside, 10% to 15% is more typical.  In my case I will make more from this in retirement than Social Security.  The only role the government plays is regulation, no contributions.

Some private companies and government employers also have pension plans.  These are however getting fewer and fewer.  I worked for a company years ago, for just 10 years, at age 55 I began collecting a $685/month pension from them.  That is what I call a private pension.  Nice, but for me not retirement money.


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## MickaC (Feb 15, 2022)

@Alligatorob  Thanks for your info.
Our Old Age Pension is just under 700.00 a month, is the same for everyone.
Our CPP depends on what a person pays into as to how much they receive.....but i do believe there is a cap on the amount.


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## StarSong (Feb 16, 2022)

Alligatorob said:


> Currently the maximum payment is a bit over $4,000/month, that is for the higher earners who wait to retire at age 70. You can begin collecting at age 63, but get less.


Excellent explanation.  I'll add that spousal benefits are a maximum of half of the larger earner's benefits (depending on when both start drawing SS).  *Of course each spouse can also collect based on their own earnings records.*

EDITED TO CLARIFY the bolded statement: Spouses can collect against their own earnings _OR_ their partners, not both.

When talking with my Canadian sister about retirement strategies she was quite shocked at how much DH & I were going to get from SS.


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## Don M. (Feb 16, 2022)

I signed up for SS as soon as I became eligible, and my wife signed up for spousal benefits when she became eligible....after all, no one knows how long they will live.  When I reviewed how much I paid in when I was working vs, what we've received, we have received at least 4, and rapidly approaching 5 times what I paid in SS taxes.  I wish some of my other "investments" were doing equally well.


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## hollydolly (Feb 16, 2022)

StarSong said:


> Excellent explanation.  I'll add that spousal benefits are a maximum of half of the larger earner's benefits (depending on when both start drawing SS).  Of course each spouse can also collect based on their own earnings records.
> 
> When talking with my Canadian sister about retirement strategies she was quite shocked at how much DH & I were going to get from SS.


wow.. , I'm stunned too... I wish it was the same here


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## StarSong (Feb 16, 2022)

I seem to be the lone wolf here in that we're delaying DH's filing against his own earnings record until he turns 70.  I filed against my earnings at 65 and he started drawing spousal benefits against mine when he turned 66.  

With all four of our parents living into their 90s, it's a pretty good bet that at least one of us will be grateful for his increased benefits down the road.


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## Alligatorob (Feb 16, 2022)

StarSong said:


> Of course each spouse can also collect based on their own earnings records.


Yes, and that is what we did.  My wife started hers a while back, and I am getting half of it, even though still working.  I will wait until 70 to start mine.  I think they have closed this loophole though, younger folks don't get as good a deal.


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## StarSong (Feb 16, 2022)

Alligatorob said:


> Yes, and that is what we did.  My wife starter hers a while back, and I am getting half of it, even though still working.  I will wait until 70 to start mine.  I think they have closed this loophole though, younger folks don't get as good a deal.


Exactly the strategy DH and I are using.  You're correct, it's no longer available.  We got in just under the wire...


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## Leann (Feb 16, 2022)

Remy said:


> Was it easy or complicated? I will qualify later this year but don't know when I'll actually file for it.


Hi Remy. It was very easy. I had already set up an account on the SS website so I was able to file through there.


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## Myquest55 (Feb 17, 2022)

Congrats, Leann!  My husband is younger than me but left work on Disability in 2017.  Our plan was for both of us to file for Soc. Sec. at FRA  (Full Retirement Age)  in my case was 66 & 2 months.  So I applied last year - online (it WAS easy!) against my own account and intended to wait for DH to reach his FRA to get the spousal "bump" that brings my payment equal to half of his.  HOWEVER, since he was recieving SSDI (Soc. Sec. Disability Insurance) Soc. Sec. called me to tell me that I was eligible for the extra amount then - since DH was already collecting his full amount - as disability.  So, I get 2 deposits and he gets 1.  We assume, that when he reaches FRA - the name of it will change from SSDI to just Soc. Sec. but the amount will not.

Just thought that might reassure someone else in a similar situation.  Best of luck to all!


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## Lanny (Mar 23, 2022)

I began researching Social Security a while back and was pleasantly surprised to learn that my check plus my wife's check combined will total about 2400 dollars more than we typically spend in a month. Even with the Medicare Part B premium taken out.
I'm delaying retirement until 68 to increase my payment because my wife is six years younger, has a lot of longevity in her family tree and will probably outlive me.
Just wish Congress will pass laws ensuring the fund doesn't run dry!


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## Myquest55 (Mar 23, 2022)

RE:  Devi - Medicare WILL cover some eye issues.  I just had a long talk with my Eye Dr's office and she says that, as long as it is deemed a "medical issue" they will bill medicare and my supplement.  She checked my chart and since "Cataracts" is mentioned, it is considered a medical issue and they will bill them.  However, there were a couple of things medicare will not cover and I would have to pay for - part of the exam $39 and/or $40 (depending on the procedure) and the glasses and lenses.   Call your local Eye Dr's office and ask a few questions.  Paying for external "Eye Insurance" is not worth it for us.

Dental is another issue and when we checked in 2019, there were NO dentists within 50 miles that would take medicare.  We are fortunate enough to have continued dental insurance with Delta Dental through DH's former employer in TN.  Turns out to be cheaper than picking up a new policy in Maine.


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## jimintoronto (Mar 23, 2022)

Don M. said:


> I signed up for SS as soon as I became eligible, and my wife signed up for spousal benefits when she became eligible....after all, no one knows how long they will live.  When I reviewed how much I paid in when I was working vs, what we've received, we have received at least 4, and rapidly approaching 5 times what I paid in SS taxes.  I wish some of my other "investments" were doing equally well.


The US social security is funded by buying US treasury bills. Here in Canada we have a Canada Pension Investment Board that invests the money that is paid into the CPP by workers and their employers. The CPIB OWNS dozens of business operations in Canada and in other parts of the world. In Germany, the CPIB is one of the biggest owners of rental apartment buildings and shopping centers in that country. At this time the CPP plan is fully funded to the year 2065. By that I mean that it has secure funds for the next 43 years. I wonder how  reliable the US social security funding is today ? Link to the Canada Pension Plan Investment Board website. Canada Pension Plan Investment Board (CPPIB) – Corporate Mapping Project


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## Devi (Mar 23, 2022)

@Myquest55 — thanks; you are right.

I had forgotten that Medicare will cover some eye issues. For instance, my cataract surgery, including touch-ups to the new cataract lenses. I believe there are specifics that have to be fulfilled in order for Medicare to cover cataract surgery and "touch-ups". I believe certain things had to be fulfilled in order to qualify for Medicare coverage on these, but those issues are easily fulfilled.

Paying for external insurance for eyeglasses it not worth it for us, either.


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## Aunt Bea (Mar 23, 2022)

Lanny said:


> I began researching Social Security a while back and was pleasantly surprised to learn that my check plus my wife's check combined will total about 2400 dollars more than we typically spend in a month. Even with the Medicare Part B premium taken out.
> I'm delaying retirement until 68 to increase my payment because my wife is six years younger, has a lot of longevity in her family tree and will probably outlive me.
> Just wish Congress will pass laws ensuring the fund doesn't run dry!


Congratulations!

Be sure to look at how your SS benefits will impact your federal income tax.

It really annoys me that those benefits are subject to income tax.

IMO it's a means-test on an entitlement that was already bought and paid for during our working years.


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## StarSong (Mar 23, 2022)

jimintoronto said:


> The US social security is funded by buying US treasury bills. Here in Canada we have a Canada Pension Investment Board that invests the money that is paid into the CPP by workers and their employers. The CPIB OWNS dozens of business operations in Canada and in other parts of the world. In Germany, the CPIB is one of the biggest owners of rental apartment buildings and shopping centers in that country. A*t this time the CPP plan is fully funded to the year 2065. By that I mean that it has secure funds for the next 43 years. I wonder how  reliable the US social security funding is today ?* Link to the Canada Pension Plan Investment Board website. Canada Pension Plan Investment Board (CPPIB) – Corporate Mapping Project


There are big differences between the Canadian Pension Plan and US Social Security, including that Social Security is legally precluded from investing in private enterprise.  Not saying either strategy is better, only that there are differences.  

Also, the Canada Pension Plan monthly payout averages CA$640 a month ($509 US).  Average US Social Security payout is $1543.00 US.  
Maximum CPP payout for someone retiring today is CA$1253.59 ($998 US).  Maximum SS individual payout is $4194.00 US.  

If US Social Security paid out CPP amounts, our Social Security would be unlikely to have funding issues. 

Most non-Canadians quite like Canada, cheer it on and admire its successes, myself and other members of this forum included.  Please don't step on other countries as a way to elevate your own.  We all have aspects we love about our countries as well as areas that could use improvement.


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## HoneyNut (Mar 23, 2022)

jimintoronto said:


> I wonder how reliable the US social security funding is today ?


From what I've read it is worrisome, in eleven years if congress doesn't do anything, there will only be enough annual contributions to cover us getting 78% of our SS checks.  We need more workers paying in, wish all those unfilled jobs would hurry up and get filled.


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## Lanny (Mar 24, 2022)

Aunt Bea said:


> Congratulations!
> 
> Be sure to look at how your SS benefits will impact your federal income tax.
> 
> ...


Good advice Bea, thanks.

We've got things planned where our taxable income will be below the standard deduction after I retire. My wife will be working part time then. She plans to retire around the age of 65.

And you're right about S.S. benefits being subject to taxes. Truly annoying.


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## Leann (Jun 17, 2022)

An update on my SS filing:

I filed online and it was quite simple. The website has a 3 part progress bar so you can somewhat tell the status of your application (received, reviewed, approved). Mine seemed eternally stuck at being reviewed.

A few months after I applied, I got an email that was suspect. It was supposedly from the SS Administration but it was incomplete and it had a phone number that I was to call. I felt uneasy. There was no way to respond to the email because it said that the mailbox from where it was sent is unmonitored. I waited a few days then decided to call. The answering message was truncated and did not say anything about being the SS office. I hung up. I let another few days pass, called again, got the same odd answering message and decided that it could be someone trying to steal identities.

In late May I called the main phone number for SS that is posted on their website. I was transferred to the regional office that could help me. Guess what? The email that was sent to me and the phone number that was included with it were real! Not scammers but honestly, it was all so poorly done that I felt it had to be hackers, scammers or identity thieves. 

I got through to a real SS person who was very helpful. I told him that his email and the message on their voicemail both raised my suspicions. He was a nice person but didn't seem at all interested in my feedback. 

I answered some of the questions he had so he could finalize processing my application. A week or so later, I received a letter in the mail that my application was approved, the amount I would be receiving monthly and the date of the first payment. Yahoo!


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## OneEyedDiva (Jun 18, 2022)

I thought I responded to this months ago.  I filed at age 62. I'd been retired 11 years, wasn't in the best of health at that time so I didn't want to wait. My older half sister, who I didn't get a chance to meet, wanted to wait until full retirement age. According to my other (half) sister our older sister and I had the same heart condition (cardiac arrythmia) and she wound up dying before she could collect.

Congratulations Leann. Enjoy the fruits of your labor.


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## HarryHawk (Jun 20, 2022)

One comes to appreciate the COLA benefit of SS these days.  I waited until I was 70 to file.  I figure if I got hit by a bus the next day, my wife would still benefit from me having waited.  If my wife got hit by a bus the day after, who cares about SS at that point?

I called to make a phone appointment when I filed.  SS called me right on time, the lady who helped me was very pleasant and helpful.  One of the more enjoyable interactions that I've had with the federal government.


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## StarSong (Jun 20, 2022)

HarryHawk said:


> *One comes to appreciate the COLA benefit of SS these days.  I waited until I was 70 to file.  I figure if I got hit by a bus the next day, my wife would still benefit from me having waited.  If my wife got hit by a bus the next day, who cares about SS at that point?*
> 
> I called to make a phone appointment when I filed.  SS called me right on time, the lady who helped me was very pleasant and helpful.  One of the more enjoyable interactions that I've had with the federal government.


Exactly the perspective DH & I have.


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