My dad was the bread winner and my mom was the homemaker. For quite some time now, their marriage has been rocky. Their retirement primarily consists of my dad's pension and social security. My dad is retired and already taking his pension. He made the decision to collect a higher monthly amount, but my mom will not receive benefits in the event of my dad's death. (This was not my mom's choice or preference.) So, if my dad passes before my mom, she will be living on my dad's social security alone. My dad is about to turn 62, and has told my mom that he intends to take social security early. They do not need the money to get by right now. Based on health factors, my mom will almost certainly outlive my dad. My parents made the decision to separate their finances several years ago, after which point my mom started working so she could cover her expenses. She doesn't make very much, however. So, the money my dad is pulling in from his pension / social security isn't in my mom's control for how to spend/save.
Obviously, I'm concerned about my mom's financial future, and feel that my dad is being/ has been very selfish. The question is, does my mom have any recourse? Does she have any say in when he takes social security? If she divorces him (a possibility), does that help her financial situation? The divorce would happen after he has already started taking social security early. Is there any advice I can offer my mom?
Thanks for reading!
Submitted April 14, 2019 at 12:22AM by funkwerk http://bit.ly/2IiruiY
