Social Security provides for both you and your family members, but there's a maximum that Social Security will pay based on your work history. To maximize your total benefits, it's important to coordinate and be aware of the family maximum.
In this installment of our Social Security Q&A series, Dan Caplinger, The Motley Fool's director of investment planning, answers a question from a reader who has children who qualify for family benefits and wants to know how the family maximum works. Dan notes that children can indeed qualify for Social Security benefits if they're under age 18 or if they're full-time students and either 18 or 19. In addition, disabled children are eligible with no age limit. But Dan points out that the family maximum is usually about 150% to 180% of your retirement benefit, making it difficult if you, a spouse, and several children are all trying to take Social Security benefits based on your work history. Dan suggests instead looking at whether a spouse can take benefits based on the spouse's own work history, leaving more available for the benefits collected on behalf of the children.
Have general questions about Social Security? Email them to [email protected], and they might be the subject of a future video!
