Reminder that if you earned >17K in those 3 months, the SSA will take all your $'s over that amount from your SSA. If its more than your SS benefit in one year, it'll take it the next year too. Supposedly people have got that money back in 2-3 years but thats just rumors in the SS redditt threads.

Slept to noon again. Havent done that since I was sick or on the weekend.

Wifes last day is tomorrow. We are taking our first road trip after she gets out of jury duty on Wednesday. Have a destination, its in Missouri but how long the road trip lasts depends on how much fun is being had stopping to look at stuff along the way as we travel.

We are initially going up the east coast of Florida and over the panhandle. Neither one of us have ever got off the interstates to check out those beaches or towns. From there, who knows which path we will take north.

Awesome!!! You're going to love it...

Sorry, that’s wrong info. Here’s the right stuff. I’m still a noob with this stuff.


Retirees, however, are required to stay under an income limit while taking Social Security. For 2024, that limit is $22,320. After that, the Social Security Administration will deduct $1 for every $2 earned.

100% correct. That's why you alter how you're paid post-retirement if you can. Remember, a dollar saved is dollar earned, so structure you post-retirement life in such a fashion where you have things paid for instead of you getting paid. It's not perfect, but I think it's pretty creative.

I believe the income threshold becomes unlimited at 67, full retirement age.

true and not. The true is full retirement age. A persons FRA age varies.

For most born after 1960 it’s 67 years and 10 months.

After you reach FRA, you can make as much as you want without a penalty.

That limit is true if you haven't reached FRA....after that you can earn as much as you like and still draw Social Security, but it can also put you in a totally different tax bracket.

That is correct...

Sorry....I didn't read all the way through.

My bad.

For me, my full retirement age was 66 years and 3 months. I worked up until March of this year and drew Social Security for the time that I reached FRA until this year. My advisor and I computed it and taking the amount early vs. waiting to draw was insignificant in comparison.

That may not be the case for everyone so make sure you work with your tax advisor.

Tell your wife congratulations on her retirement also....

If you are near Jacksonville anytime on the road trip and want to get together for lunch let me know.

Otherwise.....have a great time...

We are planning to go to the game in Charlotte. Planning to make it a road trip to visit the Biltmore and the eastern coast beaches and the Appalachian forest. You going?

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.

How I've always understood it:

Your work history determines your payout, which is a fixed amount. You will receive that amount from date of retirement to age 80. How much you receive each month is determined by how many months of payout are within that time period, from the retirement date to age 80. The amount is fixed, and the rate of payout you receive is determined by the number of months the payout is spread over.

The benefit becomes when you begin to receive payments after age 80. If you take retirement early, the smaller check remains the same throughout your life. The longer you delay, the larger your check will become (fewer months to divide the fixed amount by), and that amount will continue after age 80. It's the extra money from the larger payout received after age 80 which makes a difference.

This is why if you do not anticipate living past 80 years, due to illness, family history, or whatever, you should start taking the benefit as soon as possible. If you figure you will live past 80, and can afford to live without the benefit, delaying to receive the benefit will give you more payout over your lifetime.

I never heard SS ends at 80.

What the ****?