Show Notes

• 00:00 – Intro: This Week on the YMYW Podcast
• 00:47 – Can I Qualify for Half of My Wife’s Social Security Now That WEP and GPO Are Gone? (“Nuke La Loosh”, Northern CA – voice)
• 08:16 – Is My Husband Eligible for Spousal Social Security Benefits Now that WEP and GPO Are Gone? (Cherilyn, El Cajon, CA)
• 12:58 – Comment: Your TV Show and Guide on Social Security Are Out of Date (Helen, San Diego)
• 14:11 – Comment: Even If the TV Show Doesn’t Pertain to You Directly, You Can Inform Someone Else (Catherine)
• 14:39 – Social Security Handbook (newly updated!) – download for free
• 15:00 – YMYW ranked among the “14 Best Retirement Podcasts and Blogs to Follow” by Due.com, featured on NASDAQ.com
• 15:21 – Next Week on the YMYW Podcast

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Transcription

(NOTE: Transcriptions are an approximation and may not be entirely correct)

Intro: This Week on the YMYW Podcast

If your pension impacted your ability to collect Social Security benefits, 2025 is a very good year for you and your spouse: The Windfall Elimination Provision and the Government Pension Offset are no more, and you’re now eligible for your full Social Security benefits AND your pension! I’m Executive Producer Andi Last. Today on a quick Your Money, Your Wealth® podcast number 536 while Joe hangs in the North Star State, Big Al Clopine explains what the Social Security Fairness Act means for Cherilyn and her husband and Nuke La Loosh and his wife, with the help of our special guest co-host, Susan Brandeis, CFP®. Got a money question or need a Retirement Spitball Analysis? Click or tap Ask Joe and Big Al in the episode description and send it in as an email or a voice message, like this one.

Can I Qualify for Half of My Wife’s Social Security Now That WEP and GPO Are Gone? (“Nuke La Loosh”, Northern CA – voice)

“Nuke”: Hello, Joe, Big Al and Andi, my wife and I live in Northern California. I love the show and I’ve learned a lot. I usually listen while I’m exercising before work or driving on the weekends to our cabin. You’ve taught me a lot and I’m better off for having found your podcast. First, the important stuff, I drive an F-150 and my wife drives a Jeep Wrangler hybrid. I enjoy a hazy IPA or maybe a rum or tequila based cocktail, or even a Moscow mule, just depends on the mood. My wife enjoys a nice Chardonnay. I’m a teacher, age 53. And wife age 57 is an accountant. I’ve spent most of my career coaching middle school sports, and my dear wife enjoys volunteering with local charitable organizations. Have two kids. One is launched and one almost outta college. We have two yellow labs that love a nice visit to the lake or just a simple ride in the back of the truck.
When I retire, probably in seven more years, I will have a CALstrs pension that alone will cover right around 100% of our monthly expenses. The pension will be about $7,800 per month, and that’s right about what our monthly expenses are. And this doesn’t include my wife’s Social Security, which we plan on delaying until age 70. My question is about the newly passed Social Security Fairness Act. I have put in enough quarters to qualify for Social Security benefits, but it was at a low income rate when I was younger. And my projected benefit at full retirement age is around $440 per month, according to the Social Security website, and $230 if I take it when I am 62. Here’s my question.
Do I qualify for taking the spousal benefit when my wife decides to turn on her Social Security benefit? Would that be the larger of my tiny amount, or half of her benefit? Before the law was passed me getting a benefit for my years put into the system was just a pipe dream, but now I’m wondering if I would really be able to qualify for the spousal benefit, which could be half of her benefit of $3,570 per month if we wait till age 70. I think our retirement plan works without this, but with it, it obviously factors into our future planning. Our portfolio consists of a little over a million in tax deferred, $400,000 in our Roths, $38,000 in an HSA, and $90,000 in our brokerage. We’re good savers. And I will max out the 403(b) this year and we will continue to max out our personal Roths as we are able, because we’re right up against that income limit. I think we’re on track for a successful retirement, but if you could give me some insight about the spousal benefit of Social Security as it applies to me, I would appreciate the spitball. Thanks so much.

Andi: And that is from Nuke LaLoosh, which I believe is a reference to the movie Bull Durham played by a guy Tim Robbins.

Al: I think you’re right. I think it was Tim Robbins. I think he was maybe a pitcher or something, if I remember. I used to love that movie being a baseball guy myself. But, yeah, love, love the name Nu La Luke,

Andi: and, now apparently he’s trying to figure out his Social Security strategy.

Al: Yeah. Well, you know what? When I saw the movie, I was young, and now I’m not as young, so there you go. So I guess it’s appropriate. Yeah. So anyway, Okay, so he’s talking about there, so there’s a new Social Security Fairness Act that was signed in January of this year, 2025 that really kind of changed a couple things about Social Security and claiming strategies for government employees or for spouses of government employees.

And Susan, maybe you can sort of go over what, happened, what the change was?

Susan: Yeah, so the change is, that both the Windfall Elimination Provision and the government. Pension offset has been eliminated. So therefore, if you have a pension from a non-covered pension, you one, your benefits will no longer be reduced and your spousal benefits will no longer be reduced based on that pension.

So basically, you’re gonna be able to get the amount that. You’ve earned that you’ve worked towards or half of your spouse’s benefit.

Al: Yeah. So for years and years, you could be a government employee, right? And, but you, worked for another company before or after working as a government employee, but you didn’t get your full Social Security because the government felt like you were double dipping, right?

Susan: Yeah.

Al: Or if your spouse was a government employee, you didn’t necessarily get your full Social Security because of that. So that changed. Right. And so now that’s gone.

Susan: That’s gone. Yeah.

Al: Right. and what’s interesting is. So it’s retroactive. So it went all the way back to 2024. And people are getting checks right now for monies that they would’ve gotten, but see the, with this new rule.

So it’s pretty cool. And this is true going on a go forward basis. So, so, so nuke, Luke Lalu, your, the benefit of your spouse 35 70. So that’s probably that’s the benefit that she’ll get at 70. That’s not quite what you get. Right? You get the benefit at what her full retirement age, which depending upon her date of birth, is anywhere between 66 and 67.

You’ll get half of that benefit, which is probably what sued 25, 30% lower, something like that.

Susan: Yeah. Yeah. So it’s probably about 2,800 around there. Yeah.

Al: 2,800 ish. But you’ll

Susan: get half of that amount.

Al: Yeah. And it’s a little bit better than that. ’cause it’s not only the, benefit that they would’ve got, but it’s also indexed for

Andi: inflation.

Yeah. Yeah.

Al: Right.

Andi: So does this change people’s staff strategy? Should they consider potentially taking Social Security when they had changed their strategy because they were subject to the weapon? GPO.

Al: Very possibly Andi, because you know, the, particularly when you have a spouse involved because if the, with the spouse, they can’t, you can’t claim a benefit until your other spouse starts claiming, right?

So your spouse has to claim a benefit for you to get the spousal benefit. So in some cases it may make sense for that your spouse to take the benefit earlier so that you can claim. Potentially a higher benefit. So that is absolutely true. Yeah. So it’s a pretty good law. this was actually signed by the Biden administration before he left his office, and it is affecting a lot of people.

I think I saw like 3 million people or something like that. This affects, wow. Yeah, because it

Susan: not only affects, you know, it’s, both your spousal benefits and your benefits. So it’s the people that are in the public sector.

Al: Yeah. So does this affect survivor benefits too?

Susan: It does, yeah. You’ll also be able to get.

The full survivor benefits ’cause before, with the Government offset provision based on the calculation, a lot of people were, it was eliminated because of that, but now they’re gonna be able to get. The full spousal benefit. Yeah. Survivor benefit, survive and half the spousal benefit.

Al: Yeah. And you can imagine it’s confusing, for us.

I mean, this is complicated stuff, but the point is the two provisions that limited the amount that you got. As a government employee or your spouse as a government employee have been eliminated. Eliminated. So now you get the same benefits that anyone else did, which is gonna make a pretty big difference I think, for a lot of people.

Susan: Yeah. ’cause in this case, you know, probably you’ll get 1500 more a month with the spousal benefit than when it was wet out. Yeah. So that’s, you know, that’s a significant amount.

Al: It’s a big deal.

Susan: Yeah.

Al: Alright, Andi, what else do we have?

Is My Husband Eligible for Spousal Social Security Benefits Now that WEP and GPO Are Gone? (Cherilyn, El Cajon, CA)

Andi: Yeah. Okay. The next one is from Cherilyn in El Cajon here in San Diego in California. She says, hi Joe and Big Al. We’re, gonna change that. It says, hi Susan and Big Al. My husband retired about 20 years ago from the city of El Cajon. After 31 years of work. The city is not in the Social Security system, so he was under, we, he only got around $150 per month in Social Security because of web.

Even though he had many quarters of work elsewhere, I am retired, but still working at the Diocese of San Diego. When I applied for Social Security at age 70, I asked the Social Security lady if my husband could get spousal benefits. Since I get around $2,000 per month, I figured he could get a thousand dollars or so off of my benefit.

50%. That’s much better than the a hundred dollars he gets now. They said no. The wet law changed recently and he got a retroactive check for $4,700, but that only goes back a couple of years. Supposedly, he will start receiving more on his benefit check starting in April. This email is obviously a little bit old, but I still have this spousal benefit question regarding him.

We’ve been married almost 50 years. Wow. Sherilyn, 50 years. I hope you can at least answer yes or no without us having to make an appointment to go into the Social Security office. I figure the answer is still no, but I still don’t understand the reason.

Al: Well, first of all, Sherly, I think, Yeah, you don’t wanna go to the social, security office at all costs.

So we’re gonna try to answer it for you. So, Susan, what do you think? Does this, this new law, does this affect Sherilynn as well?

Susan: Yes. I mean, if she’s taking your Social Security benefits that she applied at 70, then her husband would be able to get spousal benefits. Based on the amount that she would’ve gotten a full retirement age.

Al: Yeah. So what’s interesting here is, so, so, so she’s getting a couple thousand dollars and so she applied at age 70. Okay. So think back to our last, caller. So the, spousal benefit is 50% of the benefit at full retirement age, which for Sherilyn was somewhere between. 66 and 67. I don’t know exactly what, but whatever the benefit was at that point, that’s what her spouse gets half of plus index for inflation.

So let’s just for simplicity, let’s just say that was age 66. Okay. So at age 66, whatever. Her benefit was then half of that benefit, he would get indexed for the cost of living, which, Social Security announces each and every year was actually pretty high. Susan, a couple years ago? Yeah, a couple years ago.

It was 9% or something. I think

Susan: it was close. It was close to that. It’s gone down since then, but it was close to that.

Al: It, has, so I kind of tend to figure maybe 2% ish. Maybe a year as the extra benefit. So if you’re getting a couple thousand, I bet your husband ends up getting 700, 7 50 something, like that.

So yeah, it’s, so the answer is yes. You, don’t have to go to a Social Security office. the answer is yes. That’s why he got that check, because it was retroactive to two th to 2024. Right? So it’s an extra amount he should have got for all those months that he didn’t get it. So now, that we’re recording this a little bit later than your question, you probably already have noticed.

There, he’s getting a higher benefit, but the answer is yes. Yes. So the

Andi: way that worked was basically they got a, lump sum retroactive payment, and then it caught up to present day. And so then his payments going forward would be increased based on whatever that calculation is from that point forward after he received the retroactive benefits.

Al: That’s exactly right. So if you were fortunate enough to get a check, then the I then the Social Security Administration is saying that they believe that you qualify for this higher benefit. If you didn’t get a benefit or a check and you think you should have, well that’s when you gotta call Social Security.

Maybe you gotta go to the office and you know. Just grin and bear it, you know, you just have to do it right. To, get your higher benefit. But I think the Social Security Administration has been pretty good at figuring this stuff out.

Susan: Yeah. ’cause they’ve got a lot of requests for it.

Al: They’ve, yeah.

Susan: Probably by now they’ve had a lot of practice.

Al: Yeah. So, at any rate, yeah. Good news, Andi. For people that are perceiving Social Security, that either husband or wife, or both work for the government.

Andi: And so basically I, if you haven’t heard about this, if you weren’t aware of the fact that this weapon GPO law has changed, it’s definitely worth looking into whether or not that changes your Social Security situation.

Al: Yeah. Wi without

Andi: a doubt,

Al: I think this, will change. This will be important for a lot of people.

Comment: Your TV Show and Guide on Social Security Are Out of Date (Helen, San Diego)

Andi: Yep. Okay. so the next one is actually a comment from our TV show because we, have been airing some of our previous episodes of the TV show. And so the one that this person saw was actually the old episode before the weapon GPO Law changed.

Helen in San Diego said this morning’s TV show on Social Security gave incorrect information on web that was eliminated in January, 2025. With one of the last orders signed by Biden, we are all now getting retro lump sum paybacks from January of 20 24, 14 months, and the web is amount is being restored in our March benefit paid in April.

You should correct that on the show and in the book you are dispersing. Helen, thank you very much for the comment. We will work on that now. We can do a new episode that has the new information in it.

Al: Well, Helen, you’re absolutely right. Yep. And thanks for bringing this to our attention. So we will fix that.

we have, I dunno how many TV shows, Andi. We probably have a couple hundred and we do probably, yeah, we do refunds or refunds. Refunds. We do rerun, we do refunds, we do reruns. We’ll refund

Andi: you on the price of watching that television show. We’ll give you 28 minutes back. That’s we’ll refund

Al: of zero.

We’ll, do that. But yeah, we, don’t record every week, probably like any other TV show. So, anyway, sorry about that. We’ll try to get that all fixed up.

Comment: Even If the TV Show Doesn’t Pertain to You Directly, You Can Inform Someone Else (Catherine)

Andi: And to actually on the other side of that, Catherine wrote in and said, hi. I value the TV show and have learned a lot. Thanks. What’s missing is the message that even if the information presented doesn’t pertain to you directly, it’s important to be informed because you may be able to inform someone else.

We’re all in this together. I thought that was a really cool message from Catherine.

Al: Wow. Catherine, well said. I, agree.

Andi: Yeah,

Al: that we will continue. We’ll, forge ahead. Very cool.

Social Security Handbook (newly updated!) – download for free

Andi: Since we recorded this podcast episode we have indeed updated our FREE Social Security Handbook, to include a section on those Social Security Fairness Act updates for 2025. Click or tap the link in the episode description to get your copy now. Did we mention it’s free, courtesy of Your Money, Your Wealth®, and Pure Financial Advisors?

YMYW ranked among the “14 Best Retirement Podcasts and Blogs to Follow” by Due.com, featured on NASDAQ.com

Ooh, cool news: YMYW was recently named among the “14 Best Retirement Podcasts and Blogs to Follow” by Due.com, and featured on Nasdaq.com! They ranked us as #9 overall, and the #2 podcast on their list! Click or tap the link in the episode description to see the other podcasts and blogs that ranked, and tell a friend.

Next Week on the YMYW Podcast

Next week on YMYW, Susan Brandeis returns to spitball with Big Al on asset location in different accounts, the combat zone tax exclusion and other ways to maximize tax-free retirement income, whether to invest the proceeds from the sale of a rental property, and prioritizing Roth, brokerage, or 401(k) savings if you’re a late starter. Look for the YMYW gang of Joe, Big Al, and me to be back together on July 15.

Your Money, Your Wealth is presented by Pure Financial Advisors. Time flies when you’re planning for your entire financial future. Don’t put it on hold! Schedule a Free Financial Assessment today and see if you’re on track. Our team of experienced professionals will analyze your situation, identify potential roadblocks, and create a personalized plan to get you where you want to be – including taking into account the latest changes to Social Security, your tolerance for risk, ways to reduce your taxes in retirement, and your unique needs and goals Click or tap the free financial assessment link in the episode description or call 888-994-6257 to book your assessment, either online or in person at one of our 12 nationwide locations.

Pure Financial Advisors is a registered investment advisor. Pure Financial are not affiliated with or endorsed by the Social Security Administration or any other government agency. Content is intended for educational purposes only. This show does not intend to provide personalized investment advice through this podcast and does not represent that the securities or services discussed are suitable for any investor. As rules and regulations change, podcast content may become outdated. Investors are advised not to rely on any information contained in the podcast in the process of making a full and informed investment decision.

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