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Your SIL would qualify for survivor benefits at age 60, but they would be reduced. It might not be a bad idea for her to make an appointment with Social Security to explore her options.
Thanks, that was very helpful in trying to project what she would be eligible for each year from 60 on.
Do you happen to know if she can tap her own benefits at 62 and then switch to my BIL higher benefits at her Full Retirement Age, or does that result in a permanent reduction of benefits?
She is def going to have to visit SSA when she is up to it. The options are just too confusing and they don't make it easy to figure out online.
Either way, shes got 6-12 years to cover other ways before she can collect.
Do you happen to know if she can tap her own benefits at 62 and then switch to my BIL higher benefits at her Full Retirement Age, or does that result in a permanent reduction of benefits?
She is def going to have to visit SSA when she is up to it. The options are just too confusing and they don't make it easy to figure out online.
That's a question she would be better off asking the SSA. I know there are some scenarios where, once you start taking SS early, it's permanently reduced. It would be best for her to do her "homework" first, when things settle down a bit.
That's a question she would be better off asking the SSA. I know there are some scenarios where, once you start taking SS early, it's permanently reduced. It would be best for her to do her "homework" first, when things settle down a bit.
After further research, it does appear she can collect her own reduced benefits at 62 and then switch to my BIL full benefits which would be much higher at 66. So, she will still need to confirm with SSA, but that's a bit better than I originally thought.
We're meeting with a financial planner/accountant next week, so maybe he will know more about that.
If she talks about him either now or in the future, don't just be silent or change the subject. That's what my friends and family have done for over 26 years, even though they all loved him dearly and had a great relationship with him. He will forever be a part of her life and she may want to talk about him sometimes.
Thanks. I don't think that will happen with my family. We talk about others who have passed, so I'm sure my BIL will not be an exception. I think it will be the same with her close friends based on what I know of them.
This is not necessarily true -- at least, it was not true for me after my husband died. I've always been a person who is very comfortable being alone; usually, I prefer it. After my husband died, I had visits from several wonderful friends and family members, and I appreciated their visits, but I also appreciated my time alone after they left.
It's best to ask if the grieving person wants company, not to assume she does.
This is the hardest thing for me to balance. My sister normally loves people and is a bit of a social butterfly, but then she hits a point where she wants all of them gone and out of her house and she retreats into her own world for a week or so before she comes out to play again.
So far she seems to want to go out to do a few errands and then hunker down at home and chat on the phone with me once or twice a day. Her friends are starting to call her to go out but shes declining them for now.
I'm going to see if she will let me drop off some food today and if she wants company hang out with her a while.
A book that may be a big help (it has been to me) is How to go on Living when Someone you Love Dies by Rando. It covers the difference between a sudden or gradual death, the death of a child, or parent or spouse, etc. It gives you a good idea of what to expect and steps to take.
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