Do you know enough to help a divorced spouse make the best choice for starting Social Security retirement benefits?
The information set is not very large or complex. But it does include twists that you might not expect, and in these areas it's easy for advice to be inaccurate and even harmful.
Here are the important points to know:
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In general, a qualifying divorced spouse can receive the greater of the benefit earned on his/her own work record or the spousal benefit. At full retirement age, the spousal benefit is half of the benefit (Primary Insurance Amount) earned by the working spouse. Example: Joan is divorced from Kevin and has earned a benefit of $1,000 per month on her own work record. He is entitled to $2,400 per month. At full retirement age (currently 66), she can receive $1,200, half his benefit.
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A divorced person qualifies by meeting three tests: 1) being age 62 or older; 2) having been married to a worker at least 10 years; and 3) not being remarried. If a divorced person remarries and the second marriage ends before 10 years (due to death, divorce or annulment), Social Security usually will reinstate the divorced spouse's eligibility under the first marriage, as if the second marriage did not happen.
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