Month: February 2023

Electing Delayed Social Security Retirement Benefits

Posted on February 28, 2023 by - Retirement Benefits, Social Security Benefits

What is it?Electing Delayed Social Security Retirement Benefits

You can elect to delay receiving Social Security retirement benefits

You can choose to delay receiving Social Security retirement benefits until you are past normal (full) retirement age. Perhaps you want to work longer because you enjoy it, or maybe you want your retirement benefit to be higher when you finally do retire.

Your benefit will be increased by the delayed retirement credit

If you are eligible to receive Social Security retirement benefits but you delay receiving benefits until after normal retirement age, you will be eligible to receive the delayed retirement credit. The delayed retirement credit increases your retirement benefit by a predetermined percentage of your primary insurance amount (PIA) for each month you delay receiving retirement benefits up to the maximum age of 70. The amount of the credit you receive depends upon two factors:

  • What year you were born
  • How many months you delayed receiving retirement benefits past normal retirement age

If you were born in 1943 or later, you will receive 2/3 of 1 percent more per month or 8 percent more per year if you delay receiving retirement benefits. So, for example, if your normal retirement age is 66, and you delay retirement until age 70, your benefit at age 70 will be 32 percent more than it would be at age 66. If your normal retirement age is 67, and you delay retirement until age 70, your benefit at age 70 will be 24 percent more than it would be at age 66.

Although the delayed retirement credit increases your Social Security retirement benefit, it does not increase your PIA.

When can it be used?

You must be eligible to receive delayed retirement benefits

In order to receive delayed retirement benefits, you must meet the following criteria:

  • You must be at least one month older than normal retirement age, and
  • You must be fully insured for retirement benefits (in most cases have 40 quarters of coverage).
You must apply for benefits

Receiving delayed retirement benefits is not automatic. You must apply for benefits when you want to begin receiving them. The Social Security Administration (SSA) recommends that you contact an SSA representative two or three months before you want to begin receiving benefits. You can call the SSA at 1-800-772-1213 for more information.

Strengths

Your retirement benefit will increase

If you continue to work past normal retirement age and delay receiving Social Security retirement benefits, you may increase your retirement benefit in two ways. Not only will you receive a delayed retirement credit, but your earnings after normal retirement age may be substantial enough to increase your average indexed monthly earnings (AIME), upon which your benefit is based.

Your surviving spouse’s benefit will increase

If you elect to receive delayed retirement benefits, then die, your surviving spouse (at normal retirement age) may receive 100 percent of the benefit you were receiving. Therefore, if your spouse has a life expectancy substantially greater than your own, you might consider delaying retirement so that your spouse may receive a higher benefit after you die.

Your delayed retirement credit isn’t counted toward your family maximum

When you retire, your family may be eligible to receive benefits based on your PIA. These benefits may be limited by the family maximum, which generally ranges from 150 to 180 percent of your PIA. However, if you delay receiving retirement benefits, your delayed retirement credit won’t count toward your family maximum and can be paid whether or not your family’s benefits are limited by the family maximum.

Tradeoffs

Delaying retirement won’t necessarily increase your lifetime retirement benefit

Just because you receive a higher monthly benefit when you delay retirement doesn’t necessarily mean you’ll receive a higher overall lifetime benefit. If you delay receiving retirement benefits, the amount of each benefit check will be higher, but you’ll receive fewer benefit checks than you would have if you begin receiving retirement benefits at normal retirement age. How many fewer checks you receive will depend upon how many years you delay receiving retirement benefits.

For example, assume the following facts apply to you:

  1. You delay retirement by 4 years, and retire at age 70 instead of at age 66, making you eligible for an 8 percent delayed retirement credit for each year you delay retirement. You will receive 48 fewer benefit checks.
  2. Your PIA is $1,000, so if you retire at age 66, your annual benefit will be $12,000. If you retire at age 70, your monthly benefit will be increased by $320, so your annual benefit will be $15,840.
  3. Assume that even if you’ve saved or invested all or part of your benefits, your real rate of return is 0 percent.

Using these factors, it would take you more than 12 years from the time you retire at age 70 to reach the point at which your benefits would crossover with the amount you would have accumulated if you began receiving benefits at age 66 (does not take into account annual cost of living increases):

By this Age

Accumulated Benefit if Retirement Age is 66

Accumulated Benefit if Retirement Age is 70 (32% credit has been earned)

70

$ 48,000

$0

76

$120,000

$95,040

82

$192,000

$190,080

83

$204,000

$205,920

If you were to die before reaching this crossover point, your lifetime benefits would be lower than if you had retired at your normal retirement age. Conversely, if you were to die after reaching this crossover point, then your lifetime benefits would be higher. That’s why life expectancy is one of the factors to consider when deciding whether to delay receiving Social Security retirement benefits.

The delayed retirement credit won’t increase benefits paid to most family members

When you earn the delayed retirement credit, your retirement benefit will increase. However, because the delayed retirement credit doesn’t affect your PIA, benefits that are paid to family members won’t increase (unless you die, at which time your surviving spouse may receive the same benefit you were receiving).

How to do it

Decide whether you want to delay receiving retirement benefits by comparing your options

You can estimate your retirement benefit online using the Retirement Estimator calculator on the Social Security website (ssa.gov). You can create different scenarios based on current law that will illustrate how different earnings amounts and retirement ages will affect the benefit you receive. Remember, this considers only your earnings and gives a basic calculation of the amount you earn from delaying. If you have anything more complex, like retirement as a couple or pulling from an ex-spouse’s benefit,  you might want to work with an expert to ensure you have not missed any of the details that might affect your benefits; we can help with a flat fee Social Security plan that will give you peace of mind with the current 2800+ regulations that govern Social Security.

Consider the following questions before making your decision
  • Why do you want to delay receiving retirement benefits?
  • Can you afford to delay receiving retirement benefits, or do you need Social Security retirement income as soon as possible?
  • Do you expect to live long enough to benefit from delaying your retirement benefits?
  • How important is it to increase the amount of survivor income available to your spouse?
Apply for delayed Social Security retirement benefits

Three months before you’re ready to retire, fill out an application for benefits with the SSA.

Don’t forget to apply for Medicare benefits at age 65. See Questions & Answers.

Tax considerations

If you continue to work past normal retirement age, you will continue to pay Social Security or self-employment tax on your covered earnings. Even though your earnings may increase your AIME (and thus your retirement benefit), you may not be able to recoup those payroll taxes.

Questions & Answers

If you delay receiving Social Security retirement benefits, can you still receive Medicare at age 65?

Yes. Anyone age 65 or older who is entitled to receive Social Security benefits is eligible to receive Medicare, even if he or she has not yet filed an application for Social Security benefits. However, enrollment in Medicare is automatic only for individuals who are receiving Social Security retirement benefits for at least four months before reaching age 65. If you elect to delay receiving retirement benefits, you will need to apply for Medicare benefits online, in person, or through the mail.

Can you delay receiving Social Security retirement benefits until you’re 71 or older?

Yes, but there’s no advantage to waiting longer than age 70 to begin receiving Social Security retirement benefits. You can earn the delayed retirement credit only up until age 70. In addition, if you want to work, any money you earn from working after age 70 won’t decrease your Social Security retirement benefit. So why wait?

If you are interested in our Social Security planning options, learn more here! We understand retirement planning can be daunting, and we are here to make it easier for you. Our newsletter is a great way to stay up-to-date with our latest offerings and get helpful retirement planning tips. Signing up is easy; click here. We appreciate your interest in our services and look forward to helping you retire better!

Broadridge Investor Communication Solutions, Inc. prepared this material for use by Social Security Benefit Planners, LLC.

Broadridge Investor Communication Solutions, Inc. does not provide investment, tax, legal, or retirement advice or recommendations. The information presented here is not specific to any individual’s personal circumstances. To the extent that this material concerns tax matters, it is not intended or written to be used, and cannot be used, by a taxpayer for the purpose of avoiding penalties that may be imposed by law. Each taxpayer should seek independent advice from a tax professional based on individual circumstances. Social Security Benefit Planners, LLC  provide these materials for general information and educational purposes based upon publicly available information from sources believed to be reliable — we cannot assure the accuracy or completeness of these materials. The information in these materials may change at any time and without notice.

Social Security Benefit Planners, LLC and its affiliates are in no way associated with or approved, endorsed, or authorized by the Social Security Administration.

Social Security Retirement Benefit Basics

Posted on February 26, 2023 by - Retirement Benefits, Social Security Benefits

Social Security Retirement Benefit Basics

Social Security benefits are a major source of retirement income for most people. Your Social Security retirement benefit is based on the number of years you’ve beenSocial Security Retirement Benefit Basics working and the amount you’ve earned. When you begin taking Social Security benefits also greatly affects the size of your benefit.

How do you qualify for retirement benefits?

When you work and pay Social Security taxes (FICA on some pay stubs), you earn Social Security credits. You can earn up to 4 credits each year. You need at least 40 credits (10 years of work) to be eligible for retirement benefits.

How much will your retirement benefit be?

The Social Security Administration (SSA) calculates your primary insurance amount (PIA), upon which your retirement benefit will be based, using a formula that takes into account your 35 highest earnings years. At your full retirement age, you’ll be entitled to receive that amount. This is known as your full retirement benefit. Because your retirement benefit is based on your average earnings over your working career, if you have some years of no earnings or low earnings, your benefit amount may be lower than if you had worked steadily.

Your age at the time you start receiving benefits also affects your benefit amount. Although you can retire early at age 62, the longer you wait to begin receiving your benefit (up to age 70), the more you’ll receive each month.

You can estimate your retirement benefit under current law by using the benefit calculators available on the SSA’s website, ssa.gov. You can also sign up for a my Social Security account so that you can view your online Social Security Statement. Your statement contains a detailed record of your earnings, as well as estimates of retirement, survivor, and disability benefits. If you’re not registered for an online account and are not yet receiving benefits, you’ll receive a statement in the mail every year, starting at age 60.

Retiring at full retirement age

Your full retirement age depends on the year in which you were born. If you retire at full retirement age, you’ll receive an unreduced retirement benefit.

If you were born in: Your full retirement age is:
1943-1954 66
1955 66 and 2 months
1956 66 and 4 months
1957 66 and 6 months
1958 66 and 8 months
1959 66 and 10 months
1960 or later 67

If you were born on January 1 of any year, refer to the previous year to determine your full retirement age.

Retiring early will reduce your benefit

You can begin receiving Social Security benefits before your full retirement age, as early as age 62. However, if you begin receiving benefits early, your Social Security benefit will be less than if you wait until your full retirement age to begin receiving benefits. Your retirement benefit will be reduced by 5/9ths of 1% for every month between your retirement date and your full retirement age, up to 36 months, then by 5/12ths of 1% thereafter. This reduction is permanent — you won’t be eligible for a benefit increase once you reach full retirement age. However, even though your monthly benefit will be less, you might receive the same or more total lifetime benefits as you would have had you waited until full retirement age to start collecting benefits. That’s because even though you’ll receive less per month, you might receive benefits over a longer period of time.

Delaying retirement will increase your benefit

For each month that you delay receiving Social Security retirement benefits past your full retirement age, your benefit will permanently increase by a certain percentage, up to the maximum age of 70. For anyone born in 1943 or later, the monthly percentage is 2/3 of 1%, so the annual percentage is 8%. So, for example, if your full retirement age is 67 and you delay receiving benefits for 3 years, your benefit at age 70 will be 24% higher than at age 67.

Monthly benefit example

The following chart illustrates how much a monthly benefit of $2,000 taken at a full retirement age of 67 would be worth if taken earlier or later than full retirement age. For example, as this chart shows, this $2,000 benefit would be worth $1,400 if taken at age 62, and $2,480 if taken at age 70.

This hypothetical illustration is based on Social Security Administration rules. Actual results will vary.

Working may affect your retirement benefit

You can work and still receive Social Security retirement benefits, but the income that you earn before you reach full retirement age may temporarily affect your benefit. Here’s how:

  • If you’re under full retirement age for the entire year, $1 of your benefit will be withheld for every $2 you earn over the annual earnings limit ($21,240 in 2023)
  • A higher earnings limit applies in the year you reach full retirement age, and the calculation is different, too — $1 of your benefit will be withheld for every $3 you earn over $56,520 (in 2023)

Once you reach full retirement age, you can work and earn as much income as you want without reducing your Social Security retirement benefit. And keep in mind that if some of your benefits are withheld prior to your full retirement age, you’ll generally receive a higher monthly benefit at full retirement age, because after retirement age the SSA recalculates your benefit every year and gives you credit for those withheld earnings.

Retirement benefits for qualified family members

Even if your spouse has never worked outside your home or in a job covered by Social Security, he or she may be eligible for spousal benefits based on your Social Security earnings record. Other members of your family may also be eligible. Retirement benefits are generally paid to family members who relied on your income for financial support. If you’re receiving retirement benefits, the members of your family who may be eligible for family benefits include:

  • Your spouse age 62 or older, if married at least 1 year
  • Your former spouse age 62 or older, if you were married at least 10 years
  • Your spouse or former spouse at any age, if caring for your child who is under age 16 or disabled
  • Your children under age 18, if unmarried
  • Your children under age 19, if full-time students (through grade 12) or disabled
  • Your children older than 18, if severely disabled

Your eligible family members will receive a monthly benefit that is as much as 50% of your benefit. However, the amount that can be paid monthly to a family is limited. The total benefit that your family can receive based on your earnings record is about 150% to 180% of your full retirement benefit amount. If the total family benefit exceeds this limit, each family member’s benefit will be reduced proportionately. Your benefit won’t be affected.

For more information on retirement benefits or the application process, contact the Social Security Administration at (800) 772-1213 or visit ssa.gov.

Signing up for Social Security

According to the Social Security Administration, you should apply for Social Security benefits approximately three months before your retirement date. To apply for Social Security benefits, you can complete an application online or call or visit your local Social Security office. You can also call the SSA at (800) 772-1213 to discuss your options or to get more information about the application process.

If you are interested in our Social Security planning options, learn more here! We understand that retirement planning can be daunting, and we are here to make it easier for you. Our newsletter is a great way to stay up-to-date with our latest offerings and get helpful retirement planning tips. Signing up is easy; click here. We appreciate your interest in our services and look forward to helping you retire better!

Broadridge Investor Communication Solutions, Inc. prepared this material for use by Social Security Benefit Planners, LLC.

Broadridge Investor Communication Solutions, Inc. does not provide investment, tax, legal, or retirement advice or recommendations. The information presented here is not specific to any individual’s personal circumstances. To the extent that this material concerns tax matters, it is not intended or written to be used, and cannot be used, by a taxpayer for the purpose of avoiding penalties that may be imposed by law. Each taxpayer should seek independent advice from a tax professional based on individual circumstances. Social Security Benefit Planners, LLC  provide these materials for general information and educational purposes based upon publicly available information from sources believed to be reliable — we cannot assure the accuracy or completeness of these materials. The information in these materials may change at any time and without notice.

Social Security Benefit Planners, LLC and its affiliates are in no way associated with or approved, endorsed, or authorized by the Social Security Administration.

Minimizing Taxation of Your Social Security Retirement Benefit

Posted on February 12, 2023 by - Retirement fears, Social Security Benefits

Minimizing Taxation of Your Social Security Retirement Benefit

Your Social Security retirement benefit may be taxableMinimizing Taxation of Your Social Security Retirement Benefit

Did you know that you might have to pay federal income tax on your Social Security retirement benefit? If the only income you had during the year was Social Security income, then your benefit usually isn’t taxable. However, if you earned other income during the year or had substantial investment income, then you might have to pay federal income tax on part of your benefit if your total income exceeds a certain base amount.

If you have earned income or investment income over the base amount, you can use certain strategies to minimize (or even eliminate) the amount of tax you have to pay on your Social Security benefit. These strategies include changing your filing status and reducing your modified adjusted gross income (MAGI). However, before using these strategies, consult your tax advisor for information on your individual situation.

Is your benefit taxable?

Determining whether your Social Security retirement benefit is taxable

Before you consider ways to minimize taxation of your Social Security retirement benefit, you must determine whether your benefit is taxable at all. Your benefit is taxable if one-half of your Social Security benefit plus your MAGI exceeds the base amount for your filing status.

Your MAGI includes taxable pensions, wages, interest, dividends, and other types of taxable income. It also includes tax-exempt interest income plus normally excludable income such as interest from Series EE savings bonds (which may also be called Patriot bonds) and the foreign earned income of U.S. citizens and residents.

Your filing status

When you fill out your federal income tax return, you choose your filing status based on your marital status. You can file in one of five ways: single, married filing jointly, married filing separately, unmarried head of household, or qualifying widow or widower (with a dependent child). For Social Security purposes, your filing status is important because the amount of income you can have before your benefit is taxable depends partly on your filing status.

The base amount for your filing status

How much income you can have before your Social Security benefit becomes taxable is known as the base amount. The base amount is determined by law and is not adjusted annually for inflation. The base amount that you use to determine the taxability of your Social Security benefit depends upon your filing status. Your base amount is:

  • $25,000 if you file as single, head of household, or qualifying widow(er)
  • $25,000 if you file as married filing separately and you lived apart from your spouse for all of the tax year
  • $32,000 if you file as married filing jointly
  • $0 if you file as married filing separately and you lived with your spouse at any time during the tax year

How much Social Security retirement benefit you received

At the end of each tax year, the Social Security Administration (SSA) will send you a form (SSA-1099 or RRB-1099) showing the amount of benefit you received during the year. You can use this to figure out whether any of your benefit will be taxable.

Adding it all up

You can use Worksheet A in IRS Publication 915, Social Security and Equivalent Railroad Retirement Benefits to calculate whether your total income (as defined above) exceeds the base amount for your filing status. This worksheet has the following steps:

  • Enter the amount from box 5 of all your Forms SSA-1099 and RRB-1099. Include the full amount of any lump-sum benefit payments received in the current tax year, for the current tax year and earlier years. (If you received more than one form, combine the amounts from box 5 and enter the total.)
  • Note: If the amount on line A is zero or less, stop here; none of your benefits are taxable this year.
  • Enter one-half of the amount on line A.
  • Enter your taxable pensions, wages, interest, dividends, and other taxable income.
  • Enter any tax-exempt interest income (such as interest on municipal bonds) plus any exclusions from income.
  • Add lines B, C, and D.
  • Note: Compare the amount on line E to your base amount for your filing status. If the amount on line E equals or is less than the base amount for your filing status, none of your benefits are taxable this year. If the amount on line E is more than your base amount, some of your benefits may be taxable. You need to complete Worksheet 1.

How much of your benefit is taxable?

What percentage of your retirement benefit is taxable?

Even if you determine that your Social Security retirement benefit is taxable, you won’t have to pay tax on your whole benefit. Either up to 50 percent or up to 85 percent of your benefit will be taxable, depending on your filing status and whether the total of your MAGI and one-half of your Social Security benefit exceeds a certain limit.

What is your modified adjusted gross income?

On IRS Form 1040, adjusted gross income (AGI) is your gross income minus certain “above-the-line” deductions allowed by law. These include:

  • Certain business expenses of reservists, performing artists, and fee-basis government officials
  • IRA deduction
  • Student loan interest deduction
  • Health savings account deduction
  • Deductible part of self-employment tax
  • Self-employed health insurance deduction
  • Self-employed SEP, SIMPLE, and qualified plans
  • Penalty on early withdrawal of savings
  • Domestic production activities deduction

Your MAGI is your AGI, minus (or not including) the taxable amount of your Social Security benefits, plus income that is normally not included in AGI (such as foreign earned income and income from qualified U.S. savings bonds).

When up to 50 percent of your retirement benefit will be taxable

Up to 50 percent of your retirement benefit will be taxable if the total of one-half of your benefits and your MAGI is more than the following base amount for your filing status:

  • $25,000 if you’re filing as single, head of household, or qualifying widow(er)
  • $25,000 if you’re filing as married filing separately and you lived apart from your spouse for the whole tax year
  • $32,000 if you’re filing as married filing jointly

When up to 85 percent of your benefit will be taxable

Up to 85 percent of your retirement benefit will be taxable if one-half of your Social Security benefit plus your MAGI exceeds the following base amount for your filing status:

  • $34,000 if you’re filing as single, head of household, or qualifying widow(er)
  • $34,000 if you’re filing as married filing separately and you lived apart from your spouse for the whole tax year
  • $44,000 if you’re filing as married filing jointly
  • $0 if you’re filing as married filing separately and you lived with your spouse at any time during the tax year
Calculating your taxable benefits

Because the calculation is complex, you need to use a worksheet to compute your taxable benefit. Several worksheets are available from the IRS. What worksheet you use depends upon your situation. In general, you can use the worksheet available in the instructions for IRS Form 1040 (or 1040A) or Worksheet 1 in Publication 915. However, you must use a worksheet specified by the IRS if any of the following situations apply to you:

  1. You contributed to a traditional individual retirement arrangement (IRA) and your IRA deduction is limited because you or your spouse is covered by a retirement plan at work. In this situation, you must use the special worksheets in Appendix B of Publication 590 to figure both your IRA deduction and your taxable benefits.
  2. Situation (1) doesn’t apply and you take an exclusion for interest from qualified U.S. savings bonds (IRS Form 8815), for adoption benefits (IRS Form 8839), for foreign earned income or housing (IRS Form 2555 or IRS Form 2555-EZ), or for income earned in American Samoa (IRS Form 4563) or Puerto Rico by bona fide residents. In this situation, you must use Worksheet 1 in Publication 915 to figure your taxable benefits.
  3. You received a lump-sum payment for an earlier year. In this situation, also complete Worksheet 2 or 3 and Worksheet 4 in Publication 915.

Tax considerations

You may be able to deduct the amount of Social Security retirement benefit that was taxed from your state income tax return

Check with your tax advisor or state tax official to find out if your state allows this deduction.

Questions & Answers

If your child receives Social Security benefits but the check is made out to you due to his or her age, do you need to include the amount of benefit your child receives in the calculation to determine whether your own Social Security benefit is taxable?

No. Your child’s benefit doesn’t affect whether your benefit is taxable, even if the check is made out in your name.

When will you receive your annual statement from the Social Security Administration showing how much benefit you were paid during the year?

You should receive your annual statement by January 31 of the year following the year of benefit payments.

If you know that you’re going to owe income tax on your Social Security benefit, can you have that tax withheld?

Yes. You can fill out IRS Form W-4V, Voluntary Withholding Request, and choose to withhold a specific percentage of your total benefit payment. If part of your benefit is taxable, you may have to make estimated tax payments or request additional withholding from other income next year.

We love to help you retire better. Check out our many Social Security planning options. Also, we love to keep in touch with our newsletter; click here to sign up.

Broadridge Investor Communication Solutions, Inc. prepared this material for use by Social Security Benefit Planners, LLC.

Broadridge Investor Communication Solutions, Inc. does not provide investment, tax, legal, or retirement advice or recommendations. The information presented here is not specific to any individual’s personal circumstances. To the extent that this material concerns tax matters, it is not intended or written to be used, and cannot be used, by a taxpayer for the purpose of avoiding penalties that may be imposed by law. Each taxpayer should seek independent advice from a tax professional based on individual circumstances. Social Security Benefit Planners, LLC  provide these materials for general information and educational purposes based upon publicly available information from sources believed to be reliable — we cannot assure the accuracy or completeness of these materials. The information in these materials may change at any time and without notice.

Social Security Benefit Planners, LLC and its affiliates are in no way associated with or approved, endorsed, or authorized by the Social Security Administration.