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family benefit

Social Security Retirement Benefits – For Your Child?

Your Social Security benefit can be extended to a minor child (or grandchild) in some cases. This article explains how it all works.

What Makes Up the Family Maximum Benefit?

Knowing the items that are counted toward the FMB is important, especially if you have several auxiliary benefits being paid on your SS record.

Family Maximum and File & Suspend

Note: with the passage of the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2015 into law, File & Suspend and Restricted Application have been effectively eliminated for anyone born in 1954 or later. If born before 1954 there are some options still available, but these are limited as well. Please see the article The Death of File & Suspend and Restricted Application for more details. I recently received the following email from a reader: I am 66 and my wife is 45, and our son is 12.  I intend to delay my filing for Social Security benefits until age 70 in order to provide the highest survivor benefit for my wife since I’m so much older than her.  But I also realize that my wife and son may be eligible for benefits now if I file and suspend.  According to my SSA statement my benefit now at age 66 is $2,576.  Since my […]