I found this out after calling the Social Security office to apply for his retirement checks.
He isnt receiving any because the small amount he had in his account whittled down to nothing.
Does that mean I have no recourse?
Here arethe biggest money secretsthat can help you stop wasting precious funds and get your finances back on track.
They need to be at least 62 and have a minimum of 40 work credits.
That amounts to 10 years of working and paying the payroll taxes that fundSocial SecurityandMedicare.
Social Security doesnt have separate accounts set aside for each of us.
Benefits are paid out from Social Securitys trust fund based on how much you paid into the system.
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If your ex doesnt qualify for retirement benefits, unfortunately, you wont qualify forex-spousal benefits.
But maybe thats not the dire news you think it is.
Im guessing youve survived these past 23 years without support from your ex-husband.
Our team has compiled alist of creative waysyou can fatten your bank account this week.
This is a long list, so dont get overwhelmed.
Well keep it updated as offers changes or expire.
Benefits for spouses and ex-spouses arent quite the boon many people expect.
You dont get a spousal benefit on top of your own benefit.
Social Security simply gives you whichever benefit is bigger, but not both benefits.
You also cant score bigger monthly checks by delaying.
But spousal benefits cap out at your full retirement age of 66 or 67. you could earn up to four credits per year.
Unlike Social Security benefits, SSI isnt based on your work record.
The maximum monthly benefit for an individual in 2022 is $841 slightly more than the average spousal benefit.
Spousal benefits usually make sense when one spouse was the main breadwinner over a long marriage.
But youve been living without your ex for 23 years.
You have options for collecting benefits, but they wont come from your ex-husbands work record.
Robin Hartill is a certified financial planner and a senior writer at The Penny Hoarder.
Send your tricky money questions to[email protected].
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