Retirement Thread

[Mosbonian]

Originally Posted by BigRedChief

SS rant

Holy shit navigating signing up for Social Security is a mess. So complicated and every sentence written, paperwork must be exact, no help with their ****ed up system. Beyond that....

Because my wife is a teacher of 40 years, she is going to get a fraction of my SS when I die. She'll get about $500 a month. I'm close to maxing out on SS so thats significant money when I'm gone.

And even though she paid in SS taxes just like everyone else all those decades, she only gets $800 a month. Thats $2K less a month than what she earned. Seems like its a "need" based system. But, billionaires still get SS, who came up with this idea that teachers don't deserve their full SS just like everyone else?

We have enough money for a comfortable retirement. It just seems unfair that you paid in for decades just like everyone else but you get 80% less than billionaires receive.

I don't know about that....we were told that both my wife and disabled son will receive my full amount of my benefit upon my death....now she does lose her current retirement benefit which is much less than mine.

And as for the whole Social Security paperwork mudhole, been there felt that! And even if you get it right it doesn't mean someone at SS won't enter incorrect data that will cause you to be rejected.

I always tell everyone to start your paperwork at least 6 months before you retire the first month you are eligible.