Social Security Retirement Approval Data Point

[baronapart]

My 62nd birthday is in early June of this year. I applied Sunday, March 1 online. The process was straightforward. I selected to receive benefits starting in July (earliest).

I immediately received an email that my application had been received. The next day I received an email that my case had been sent to Kansas City for processing. So far so good. I settled in for a wait for a few months for approval. I figured it would be approved sometime in June or July for payment in August.

Fast forward to noon on Sunday May 8. I received an email that a submission status had been updated on my case. I figured it might be a request for information. I logged in and was pleasantly surprised that my case was at step three and my benefits had been approved. 

My SS benefit long with my other retirement payments will go into a credit union in the States that uses the address of my oldest son. I really don't want any of my retirement payments to go directly into a Philippines bank. We use Wise, Remitly and even sometimes Western Union to transfer money into my wife's BPI account. I also have Schwab for ATM withdrawals.

We are currently in the US waiting for our house sale to close. Our house in the Philippines is 95% complete. We just need to buy furniture and have some exterior paint detailing done. We are currently building a 16x20 foot covered picnic area on our additional lot across the street from our house. Our workers are magicians with concrete and tubular steel.

I thought I might have to deal with SSA approval issues from the Philippines via phone or mail which can be a nightmare. Anyway we are one step closer to living FT in the Jungle.

Edited March 9 by baronapart

[Old55]

Good for you! Congratulations