About this episode

This episode discusses outdated Social Security strategies that can lead to costly retirement income mistakes, particularly for women.

Outdated Social Security advice can create costly mistakes, especially when rules have changed, but old strategies are still being shared today. Have you ever heard someone say, “I was told I could do this with Social Security”? What if that advice no longer applies and could affect your retirement income for years to come? In this episode, I explain several Social Security filing strategies that used to work but no longer apply for many women today. I walk through common misunderstandings around ex-spousal benefits, deemed filing rules, restricted applications, and survivor benefits. I also clarify the important differences between rules for married spouses and divorced spouses, along with how filing early can reduce benefits. Key takeaways: Why outdated Social Security strategies can create costly retirement income mistakes today How the deemed filing rules changed spousal and ex-spousal benefit claiming options The difference between survivor benefits and spousal benefits after divorce or widowhood Why filing before full retirement age can permanently reduce monthly benefits How working before full retirement age may temporarily reduce Social Security income And more…

People in this episode

Host: Eric Blake

Topics covered

• Social Security
• retirement income
• filing strategies
• spousal benefits
• deemed filing rules
• survivor benefits

Keywords

• Social Security rules
• retirement planning
• ex-spousal benefits
• filing early
• benefit reduction

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Social Security, Simply Retirement

More episodes of The Simply Retirement Podcast

• Inherited IRA Options Every Widow Should Understand (Ep. 113) · July 15, 2026 · 32 min
• Retirement Tax Cliffs: The Hidden Costs Every Woman Should Understand (Ep. 112) · July 8, 2026 · 29 min
• What Happens to Your Health Insurance When One Spouse Retires? (Ep. 111) · July 1, 2026 · 27 min
• Should You Stay in Your Home in Retirement? What Women Need to Consider (Ep. 110) · June 24, 2026 · 29 min

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