20 Tips to Live Comfortably off Just a Social Security Check

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Plan Out Your Social Security Survivor Benefits

If you are married, it’s important to discuss how to maximize Social Security benefits should one spouse die.

When one person dies, the widow or widower can receive the deceased spouse’s benefits instead of their own if the benefits are higher than what they were receiving before.

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So it makes sense for the higher-earning spouse to retire later so that when two Social Security checks coming to the household become only one, the surviving spouse will receive the greatest benefits possible.