Survivor scenario
Last updated September 20, 2026
What the plan looks like if one spouse dies earlier than expected — you pick which one, and at what age.
Three things change at once, which is why this is hard to reason about without running it. Household spending falls, but by less than half. One Social Security benefit stops and the survivor keeps the higher of the two. And the survivor files single, where the brackets are narrower — so the same income can be taxed more.
Term life pays into the year it's still in force, and a pension's survivor percentage decides how much of it continues. Both are entered in the Insurance and Income sections, and both show up here.
We simplify the survivor's Social Security to a step-up to the higher benefit. The real rules have more conditions than that.