Question for “Old Fogies from USA living in Brazil. Absence from USA.

@bepmoht

From age 53-61 the SSA had no idea where I was. I wasn't contributing. I wasn't receiving. At 61 I notified them via the FBU (fine folks) that I needed to crank up my benefits. FBU handled it mostly all via email.

That said, if you have a SSA office nearby stop by.

mberigan

@mberigan

Thanks for the reply!

Well, I will I am not an Old Foggy, so I never notified them. I started collecting at 62. It goes straight to my Pay Pal, so I get it COL increase included no matter where I am. I recently had to go back to the USA for documents and stopped by the SSA Office in R.I. (I couldn't) get access to my website. I don´t recall any conversation about living in Brazil, but it would have happened then.

Roddie in Retirement

@roddiesho

Somehow the fact that a overworked federal bureaucrat was not curious about your absence from the states doesn’t surprise me. I’m guessing your visit to the office was for a different matter.

Thanks for your input…

@bepmoht Yes, as I mentioned I could not access my website, so I received the COLA, but did not have the paperwork,

05/13/24    When you notified Social Security that you would be outside of the USA for more than 30 days, in which way did you notify them? Was it by phone, in a letter or did you visit an office?
Did you notify them while you were still in the US? Or, did you contact the Portugal office when you arrived in Brazil?

 
    -@bepmoht

The last time that the FBU people visited Manaus (2019), they said to submit form SSA-21 to the FBU in Lisbon to establish my change of address.  I did, and my account has been serviced through Lisbon with no trouble ever since.  Here's the form:

https://www.ssa.gov/forms/ssa-21.pdf

@abthree

Thanks for the info Abthree.

    When you notified Social Security that you would be outside of the USA for more than 30 days, in which way did you notify them? Was it by phone, in a letter or did you visit an office?
Did you notify them while you were still in the US? Or, did you contact the Portugal office when you arrived in Brazil?

This is one of those survey/experience type questions. I know I need to notify them that I will be outside of the USA and I need to give them my address in Brazil. However, it’s about as clear as mud how to go about it. In the good old days, I would probably just visit an office and talk with a clerk. However, in the millennial world where people don’t look at each other anymore and avoid all human contact  I was just curious how to go about it.

Thanks for your input.
   

    -@bepmoht

You need to notify as for your change of addresss.

And to collect your SS Benefits, you will need to contact the US Consulate in Portugal ( yes, you did get this one right, in Portugal, of all places ) so they can make the changes and direct deposit your retirement checks  in your choice of bank on Brazil. 

I'm unclear on all this information.  My husband wants to start collecting SS In September, when he turns 65.  He will be moving back to the US permanently on Jan. 15th 2025.  His SS will be deposited in a US bank account.  Does he still have to contact the US Consulate in Portugal?  We have a PO Box in the US and use our daughter's address for matters that require a physical address.

   05/23/24  I'm unclear on all this information.  My husband wants to start collecting SS In September, when he turns 65.  He will be moving back to the US permanently on Jan. 15th 2025.  His SS will be deposited in a US bank account.  Does he still have to contact the US Consulate in Portugal?  We have a PO Box in the US and use our daughter's address for matters that require a physical address.        -@Droplover

For that short time - one quarter, plus a couple of weeks on each side - I wouldn't bother with the Lisbon office.  It might cause you more complications than it will save.

Your husband understands that 65 is not the "Normal Retirement Age" for someone born in 1959, I hope.  It would be a shame to leave money lying on the table by accidentally starting benefits a couple of years early.

https://www.ssa.gov/benefits/retirement … /1959.html

    I'm unclear on all this information.  My husband wants to start collecting SS In September, when he turns 65.  He will be moving back to the US permanently on Jan. 15th 2025.  His SS will be deposited in a US bank account.  Does he still have to contact the US Consulate in Portugal?  We have a PO Box in the US and use our daughter's address for matters that require a physical address.
   

    -@Droplover

Because all of the SS Benefit banking transfer requests are processed in Portugal, assuming you will collect your money in a Brazilian Bank account.

If you are not drawing your SS checks in a Brazilian Banking account, then you may continue to use your proxy US address and deposits will be made in your US Banking Account.Or have the checks mailed. 

Out here, nobody collects their retirement checks, no matter who the issuer is, by mail.  All benefits are paid out through a bank wire into your checking acccount.

Thanks for that information.  My husband is retired from NCSU already in the US.  He is working here in Brazil for four years and will then stop completely.  We know he will not get full SS but he has an additional retirement account. 

    Thanks for that information.  My husband is retired from NCSU already in the US.  He is working here in Brazil for four years and will then stop completely.  We know he will not get full SS but he has an additional retirement account. 
   

    -@Droplover

If you are a US Citizen, you will draw the full amount you are entitled to.  If you were a legal green card holder, then it is assumed they will dock part of your earned income.

Aside from this, I would make sure I  will not depend on the US Social Security Checks and here's why.....

1.They are an entitlement, not an obligation from the US Government ( been there since F.D.R's New Deal ).  As such, they are under no Constitutional obligation to make good on payments.  The only reason they do so, is because doing otherwise is a political suicide and a spark for social unrest. 

2.There is a good interview from Harry Markopoulos  on two takes from DB/30 videos, you may search it on Youtube ( on part I of II ).  In 2010, he brough up that , at that time, there were unfunded liabilities for both Medicare and the Social Security Program.

Now we are talking in terms of present value to be paid towards the following 30 years. 

Then, according to his analysis, Medicare posed to be a USD 80 trillion in future liabilities, and the Social Security was about USD 15 trillion.   And back then, the US Debt Deficit was at USD 14 trillion.  Now it stands at USD 34 Trillion.   

He also mentions these obligations are off the balance sheet. Against GAAP accounting standards. So this is seldom brought up.

Now take that picture and add some colors.  Such as this being the largets and most prosperous generation to retire, the baby boomers.  A huge cashout. 

His prognostics were that the SS would go bust somewhere between 2031 and 2035. Others are claiming it won't go entirely bust, but its benefits will lose about 21% of its buying power. 

For those who don't know who is Harry Markopoulos, he used to be a Financial Analyst in Boston, and then turned into Fraud Investigator for Prize Money. He is the man who nailed Bernie Madoff, the Ponzi Schemer.

3.All of the deducted SS and Medicare payments on your paycheck are earmarked towards the purchasing of US Treasury's Bills, Notes and bonds.  Your payments comes out of the earned interest on debt.  In short, your contributions are sitting on a bunch of I.O.U.s   Pray the US Government makes good on them.

US Debt instrument has not been faring well lately at their auctions. Sovereign Debt Purchases are even worse off.  The FED has been covering the gap lately.

And yes, the US Governement has defaulted, only in subtle manner, in recent past.  Go back to Nixon, when he announced the Dollar would be no longer backed by Gold Reserves ( Fort Knox ), this in 1970. Back then, they need to cover war debts from the Vietnam Fiasco.  Every other country, short of France, went along with the narrative on the Fiat Dollar.  The ever so stingy French, sent in Ships to retrieve their stored Gold. They weren't buying it.