I am Officially Old

[silverscreenselect]

I applied for Social Security yesterday.

Technically, I'm not applying for my benefits but spousal benefits based on Mrs. SSS's account (she is older than me and has been retired a while). The way the law works, I can apply for a spousal benefit effective when I turn 66 in a couple of months and receive half of her benefit. In the meantime, my own benefit continues to grow until I actually put in a claim for it, at which time I'll get the larger amount based on my account.

It's somewhat of a little-known provision of Social Security law that's going away in another year. Spousal benefits are available for anyone age 62 or above with a spouse who has filed an application for benefits. Often, spouses with minimal earnings history of their own (and hence a small, if any, benefit on their own account). However, beginning in 2020, anyone filing for spousal benefits will be deemed to file for every benefit for which they qualify and will only receive the largest amount. But I'm still able to take advantage of it now and pick up a few hundred in SS every month without affecting the eventual size of my own benefit when I retire.