I am going to be 60 years old next year. My husband has passed away. Does anyone know what kind of benefits I will receive from him?  Will they be the full percentage or half?
138849
Found this on the social security website:\n\nHow much will a widow receive?\n\nThe amount you will get is a percentage of the deceased's basic Social Security benefit. The percentage depends on your age and the type of benefit you are eligible for. A widow or widower, full retirement age or older, will receive 100 percent deceased's basic Social Security benefit.\n\nA widow or widower can receive full benefits at age 65 or older (if born before January 2, 1940) or reduced benefits as early as age 60. The age for receiving full benefits is increasing for widows and widowers born after 1939 until it reaches age 67 for people born in 1962 and later.
497846
If your future spouse works, they take that into consideration. SSD may cut your check some depending on how much your spouse makes but you wont lose all of it.
629596
Yes.  You may also be able to elect a higher pension benefit now that reduces at age 65... not all plans offer this however.\n\nOne benefit of starting to receive your pension now is that it may get you into a retiree medical plan if your company offers it, which could save a lot of money.  But once you elect to start receiving money, you probably can't reverse the decision.
579587
Did you know you have to work at the same job for at least 20 years to collect a pension, 30 years to collect a full pension and can't collect till you are 62...year after year the government takes your money and again you have to wait till you are in your 60's to get a small portion back from social security...hats off to people who worked hard all their lives and still have good health and able to work in their 60's & 70's!\nGreedy????
549785
I don't know of anything in particular, but Social Security only pays a one-time death benefit of $255 to a surviving spouse.  So if he wasn't married, there is no death benefit from Social Security.  My sympathies to you.
198618
If you were married for ten years or more you are entitled to social security benefits.
612416
Your savings should be placed in safe investments (bonds, certified deposits, or deposits protected against inflation) which will yield about 5%.\nYour yearly expenses being Rs.3,60,000 (12 x Rs30,000), the required amount of savings that would produce this income is:\nRs.3,60,000 x 20 = 72,00,000\n(multiplying by 20 is the same as dividing by 5%).\n\nThis assumes that you have a very very long retirement.\nIf you factor in the number of years you expect to live (you did not specify in your question), the amount above is reduced... however the calculation is more complex.\nAs an example, if you expect your savings to last 25 years after your husband retires, the amount becomes approximately 50 lakhs. Sounds like a lot? one thing you can do is reduce your monthly expenses (in retirement people usually spend less) and save, save, save!
259404
Did he retire from the Army or did he just do 3 years and thaN GOT OUT OF THE MILITARY ALL TOGETHER???  IF HE ONLY SPENT 3 YEARS IN THE ARMY YOU ARE NOT ENTITILED TO ANY BENEFITS. HOWEVER IF HE RETIRED AND LEFT YOU A sURVIVORS BENIFITS PACKAGE THAAN YOU ARE ENTITLED TO SBP.
471649
If they have been married to each other for their lives then this is going to be extremely hard on the grandfather.  You try to spend as much time with him as you can.  Usually it the male that passes away before the wife.  Many men that have been in 1 life long relationship may just sit down and will themselves to die because of the great loss and wanting to be with their wives.  Has this passing been seen as an end to an illness or was it unexpected.  If it was the end of a sickness then he has to some degree prepared himself for the end, but if it is unexpected then try to get him into some support groups in your area, not knowing where you live.  If you are church goers then get support through your church.  Another idea is to get a hold of Health and social Services locally, explain your situation and ask if they know of or have a group that he might get involved in.  You might check around in your local newspaper and see if their are any groups that people can get involved in to get the support that he is going to need.  There might be some better suggest (answers) that someone or some many make.  There is support groups in your area for just this type of support. There is always a lot of good answers when you have a forum like this one.  You have my deepest sympathies for the lose in your family of your Grandmother...  Keep a smile on your face when around your grandfather, this will help.  Good Luck..
55337
Wow, some really dangerous opinions in here!\n\nLife insurance proceeds are there to provide protection for your dependents in three basic areas:\n\n1) Funds made available to pay final costs (burial, medical bills, etc.) and debts (mortgage, credit cards. etc)\n\n2) Funds to make up the difference between the household income before your death and what it would be following your death.\n\n3) Funds to invest to meet the savings goals you would have been saving for had you not died. (Think children's education)\n\nNot everyone has needs in all three areas and like Lady Death alludes to in her answer, you can accumulate assets to offset these needs. This is referred to as Self-Insuring. In an ideal world, we would all quickly accumulate wealth sufficient to fully protect our families while not accumulating enough wealth to fall afoul of estate taxes. In reality this is not always the case, hence the continued need for life insurance.\n\nWhen you first apply for a policy, you go through an intense process called underwriting. This is when the insurance companies underwriters tak a very indepth look at you health (through blood and urine tests, questioning you, questioning your doctors and requesting information on you from the Medical Information Bureau [Think of the MIB as a Credit Bureau that tracks your health]) and your financial situation to determine IF you are insurable and how much your premiums are going to be.\n\nWhen people say you should only buy term insurance, be skeptical. It is a very unobjective thing to say when they know NOTHING of your situation. Term insurance is an easier sale and some salespeople follow the path of least resistance rather than providing the best objective advice to their clients. Buy Term and Invest the Difference- this assumes that you have the discipline to invest the difference rather than spend it, that you accumulate enough assets to self insure before the term period runs out, and that you don't accumulate too much with respect to estate taxes. Otherwose, you find yourself in the unenviable situation of having to go through underwriting again to put another term policy in force, with premiums based on your then current age, of course. This is particularly bad if your health has deteriorated in some way, jeapoardizing your ability to get coverage. Some may say you could convert the policy to permanent insurance at that point but that negates the tenents of the startegy and why put a permanent policy in place then, having given up all those years when you could have been funding it?!?\n\nMy best advice is to consult a financial planner (AVOID anyone who tells you what type of insurance to get without asking any questions of you and run away from anyone who uses a "multiple of salary" approach to determining your need) and have a survivorship analysis completed. Your planner will educate you on the different types of insurance and develop an insurance portfolio to meet your individual situation. It may be that term insurance is the right thing for you right now; maybe not. For anyone to say it is without the facts is not very intelligent nor prudent.\nGood Luck.
467358
Robert welcome to the grey zones, your best bet would be a private insurance person that you can trust and he/she can sit down and discuss the choices in your area relevant to your finances, beware most of 'em want to sell you their's and they don't care for the rest. Besides this part d is necessary in a way, you don't get it at age 65, they will make you pay penalties later, good luck
518495
I had IRA's and 401(k)'s so I don't know how this applies to your situation.\n\nI only gave up 1/2 of the marital porition of my retirement.  So all the funds before came off the table, and nothing after the final day of the marriage goes to her.  So we looked at the total value, subtracted what I had saved for retirement before I met her, subtracted any gains since the last day of the divorce, and she got half of what was left, with no claim to future earnings.\n\nFor pensions,  I suppose you can deal that a percentage, equal to the percentage of years in the marriage where you worked there would be split with her.\n\nSo for example, let's say you worked there 28 years, but were married to her for 7 of those 28 years.\n\nShe would get 1/2 (her share) of 1/4 of the pension (the portion you were married)\n\nShe certainly would not be entitled to 1/2,  but in my example, I'd start with 1/8th being offered.\n\nEverything is negotiable, there are no hard fast rules in the game of divorce.\n\nYou may check with your pension plan to see if there is a cash balance, as your ex may be able to get a percentage of this now, and then you never have to deal with this issue again.
6111
Definitely check with Social Services.\n\nAlso, if your husband worked, you would be entitled to Social Security benefits from his working contributions.  The amount depends on how much he made throughout the years.  Make sure you check into that - as his wife you have the right to the monthly amount.
68257
No, absolutely not. The entitled to 1/2 rule applies only to married couples and surprisingly enough it only applies after you've been married 10 yrs. Of course people married less than 10 years can still have battles over entitlement to property especially if they've acquired a lot during the course of a marriage or had children. As far as an unmarried couple though, neither of you is entitled to half of anything. You leave the relationship with what you went into it with.
455893
No, but you'll only get active benefits if you were active for a full 20 years.  Otherwise, you'll get the reservist benefits that kick in when you turn 60
528347
WOMEN inherit money from the husbands when they croak.  Often the insurance pays off the mortgage.  There may be life insurance.  If hubby had stocks and bonds, those become available as cash.  \n\nSo a lifetime of investing and self-denial are available to the spouse at death.  The money comes like magic from the ether, so it is lightly regarded and often frittered away.
357282
Im sorry for your loss. My dad died when I was 16. Yes you can get Social Security benefits. Your dad can also get benefits for taking care of your younger sisters. Your benefits can countinue untill your 19 if your in highschool. Check www.ssa.org