Can I do something to get higher Social Security benefits?
Q. I began my Social Security benefits right after I turned 62. Im 68 now. My husband is 62 going on 63 later this year. He is not taking benefits and hopes to continue to work at the very least until hes just shy of 67-year-old mark.  Retired  A. Were sorry to hear you didnt know more about spousal options when it comes to Social Security benefits before you started to take them. It seems that there was nothing else that you could have done to increase your own benefits several years ago besides waiting until full retirement age, or later, said Ken Van Leeuwen, a certified financial planner with Van Leeuwen & Company in Princeton. He said the IRS changed the rules around spousal benefits in 2015, and its caused a lot of confusion for retirees. In terms of what you can do now, with your husband as the big breadwinner, you may have one option. You may get a higher benefit amount filing for spousal benefits on his employment record now that he is at the minimum retirement age, he said. You should contact Social Security directly so it can advise you about benefits based on your personal records. Email your questions to Ask@NJMoneyHelp.com. Karin Price Mueller writes the Bamboozled column for NJ Advance Media and is the founder of NJMoneyHelp.com. Follow NJMoneyHelp on Twitter @NJMoneyHelp. Find NJMoneyHelp on Facebook. Sign up for NJMoneyHelp.coms weekly e-newsletter.