Social Security Retirement Calculator on ssa.gov

Non-investing personal finance issues including insurance, credit, real estate, taxes, employment and legal issues such as trusts and wills.
Post Reply
Topic Author
packer blitz
Posts: 12
Joined: Tue Mar 26, 2019 10:51 am

Social Security Retirement Calculator on ssa.gov

Post by packer blitz »

I have a question on the Social Security Retirement Calculator on ssa.gov.

I’m 43, my wife is 42. Assuming we both live to full retirement age of 67 and collect then, would we receive the amount shown for my Full benefit and a check for her Full benefit? What happens if one of us passes away before 67 and we haven't started collecting social security?

The Full amount shown in the retirement calculator is ~ $1,800 for age 67. Is the retirement calculator saying I will receive $1,800/month in 24 years or a dollar amount that is adjusted to equal what is $1,800 in today’s dollars? Assuming it’s the latter, do you feel like the cost of living adjustments have been fair or not enough to keep up with inflation?

I know a lot can change with Social Security over the years, but I would like to understand this better.

Thanks in advance for the insight!
PMQ Magoo
Posts: 19
Joined: Thu Jan 04, 2024 2:15 pm

Re: Social Security Retirement Calculator on ssa.gov

Post by PMQ Magoo »

packer blitz wrote: Mon Feb 03, 2025 9:18 pm I have a question on the Social Security Retirement Calculator on ssa.gov.

I’m 43, my wife is 42. Assuming we both live to full retirement age of 67 and collect then, would we receive the amount shown for my Full benefit and a check for her Full benefit? What happens if one of us passes away before 67 and we haven't started collecting social security?

The Full amount shown in the retirement calculator is ~ $1,800 for age 67. Is the retirement calculator saying I will receive $1,800/month in 24 years or a dollar amount that is adjusted to equal what is $1,800 in today’s dollars? Assuming it’s the latter, do you feel like the cost of living adjustments have been fair or not enough to keep up with inflation?

I know a lot can change with Social Security over the years, but I would like to understand this better.

Thanks in advance for the insight!
Yes, If you both live to full social security age, you will both receive your own amount shown. You are still young, that amount will change (increase) as time goes on, before you actually claim. The $1800 you see today will be adjusted each year with inflation.The amount you receive is based on 35 years of earnings. If there are not 35 years worth of earnings, the empty years will be filled with $0 income. Yes, the cost of living adjustments are fair. Remember though, Medicare costs will come from your social security check each month.

If one of you were to die before your full social security age, the survivor will have choices of their own social security or survivor social security. The surviving spouse can collect the survivor benefit as early as 60 years old while their own benefit continues to grow. The survivor can later change from the survivor benefit to their own benefit as late as 70 years old.
Vinny_in_NJ
Posts: 473
Joined: Fri Jan 12, 2024 5:01 pm

Re: Social Security Retirement Calculator on ssa.gov

Post by Vinny_in_NJ »

The retirement calculator gets more accurate the closer you get to retirement. It also assumes you'll be making the same salary for the rest of the years to retirement, making substantially more or less can alter the figures. Not working 35 years will give you a $0.00 for the years you don't work. After a person hits the 35 year working mark any working years that a person makes more than their least amount in the salary history, the lowest amount goes away. At some point, assuming you worked a full time job for 35 years, any low paying part time teenage money in your work history goes away which can bring you up in SS benefits.
Topic Author
packer blitz
Posts: 12
Joined: Tue Mar 26, 2019 10:51 am

Re: Social Security Retirement Calculator on ssa.gov

Post by packer blitz »

Approx. how much is Medicare for 2 adults?
PMQ Magoo wrote: Tue Feb 04, 2025 4:47 am
packer blitz wrote: Mon Feb 03, 2025 9:18 pm I have a question on the Social Security Retirement Calculator on ssa.gov.

I’m 43, my wife is 42. Assuming we both live to full retirement age of 67 and collect then, would we receive the amount shown for my Full benefit and a check for her Full benefit? What happens if one of us passes away before 67 and we haven't started collecting social security?

The Full amount shown in the retirement calculator is ~ $1,800 for age 67. Is the retirement calculator saying I will receive $1,800/month in 24 years or a dollar amount that is adjusted to equal what is $1,800 in today’s dollars? Assuming it’s the latter, do you feel like the cost of living adjustments have been fair or not enough to keep up with inflation?

I know a lot can change with Social Security over the years, but I would like to understand this better.

Thanks in advance for the insight!
Yes, If you both live to full social security age, you will both receive your own amount shown. You are still young, that amount will change (increase) as time goes on, before you actually claim. The $1800 you see today will be adjusted each year with inflation.The amount you receive is based on 35 years of earnings. If there are not 35 years worth of earnings, the empty years will be filled with $0 income. Yes, the cost of living adjustments are fair. Remember though, Medicare costs will come from your social security check each month.

If one of you were to die before your full social security age, the survivor will have choices of their own social security or survivor social security. The surviving spouse can collect the survivor benefit as early as 60 years old while their own benefit continues to grow. The survivor can later change from the survivor benefit to their own benefit as late as 70 years old.
PMQ Magoo
Posts: 19
Joined: Thu Jan 04, 2024 2:15 pm

Re: Social Security Retirement Calculator on ssa.gov

Post by PMQ Magoo »

Medicare costs depend on income. A married couple with income less than $212,000/year in 2023 pay $185 each/month in 2025. So, total for a married couple would be $370/month. Medicare premiums go up each year. Medicare starts at age 65. You have a long way before then. :happy

Here is a link to the Medicare cost site. You will see a chart on that site that shows how much Medicare cost by income.
https://www.medicare.gov/publications/1 ... -costs.pdf
furiouschads
Posts: 225
Joined: Tue Jun 04, 2019 9:01 pm

Re: Social Security Retirement Calculator on ssa.gov

Post by furiouschads »

Consider trying the excellent calculator available at

Code: Select all

https://ssa.tools/calculator
Not an official product, but it is free, accurate, and secure. It has a lot of really good features not available from the official tool.
Normal is an illusion. What is normal for the spider is chaos for the fly. --Charles Addams. #613 in 2022 BH prediction contest. #42 in 2023. #242 in 2024. Not that I am keeping track.
User avatar
gatorking
Posts: 1587
Joined: Tue Feb 20, 2007 5:15 pm
Location: MA

Re: Social Security Retirement Calculator on ssa.gov

Post by gatorking »

furiouschads wrote: Tue Feb 04, 2025 1:47 pm Consider trying the excellent calculator available at

Code: Select all

https://ssa.tools/calculator
Not an official product, but it is free, accurate, and secure. It has a lot of really good features not available from the official tool.
There is also https://opensocialsecurity.com/
I usually get my PIA from ssa.tools and input it in this.
Post Reply