Are You A Senior Thinking About Remarriage?

It is common in our society for senior individuals to contemplate second marriages. Many times one of the people will have a higher Social Security earnings record from a prospective spouse from an earlier marriage. So, consider before remarriage, how will your earnings record and Social Security benefits be calculated?

If you remarry prior to the age of 60, you are typically not eligible for benefits based upon your former spouse’s earning record. However, if you divorce after 10 years of marriage, your second marriage ends before you turn 60, your benefits based upon your first spouse’s earnings will be restored. When you reach age 62, you can choose to collect a “spousal benefit” based upon your new spouse’s earnings record or receive a benefit based upon your own earnings, whichever is the larger amount.

If you remarry after the age 60, you will be eligible to receive a spousal benefit based on the earnings record of a deceased spouse, the spousal benefit of your current spouse, or a benefit based upon your own work record, whichever is highest.

What happens if your new spouse dies? You will be eligible for a spousal benefit if you are at least 60 years of age (or age 50 if disabled) as long as the marriage lasted at least 9 months, or your spouse had an accidental death, or you had a child (including adoption) together. You must be unmarried at the time of your application.