When Can My Younger Spouse Receive Railroad Retirement Spousal Benefits?

Welcome, everyone, to another edition of the Highball Advisors Railroad Retirement Mailbag. I’m John McNamara with Highball Advisors, and today’s question comes from Gene M. He writes:

“My wife is nine years younger than I am. I’m 64 and still working for CN. If I were to pull the pin at 65 and my wife is still 56, when would her spousal portion of the annuity begin?”

Great question, Gene. The answer depends on your years of service.

If you have 30 or more years of railroad service, your wife would be eligible to start receiving her spousal annuity at age 60. However, if you have fewer than 30 years, then she would have to wait until age 62 to start collecting—and keep in mind, there would be a reduction of up to 30% for starting early.

So, it's really important to understand how service years and age reductions impact spousal benefits.

For a deeper dive into this topic, check out my video: “What You Need to Know About Spousal Benefits for Railroad Retirement.” It covers the key details that can help you and your spouse plan more effectively.

As always, I hope you found this helpful. Feel free to send in your questions—I’ll be happy to cover them in a future video.

Until next time, everyone—stay safe, stay on track, and take care. So long, everybody!

Get Free Railroad Retirement Assessment

Disclaimer: This article is provided for general information and illustration purposes only. Nothing contained in the material constitutes tax advice, a recommendation for purchase or sale of any security, or investment advisory services. Highball Advisors encourages you to consult a financial planner, accountant, and/or legal counsel for advice specific to your situation. Reproduction of this material is prohibited without written permission from Highball Advisors, and all rights are reserved from Highball Advisors, and all rights are reserved.