By Sandra Block
From Kiplinger’s Personal Finance
The wage gap between men and women has narrowed in recent years, but many women still earn less than their spouses, particularly if they took time out to care for their family.
This discrepancy can be particularly difficult for divorced women who earned less than their former husbands because they no longer can rely on their partner’s income. Women—and men, if their ex-wives were the higher earners—can significantly improve their retirement security by taking advantage of Social Security benefits for divorced spouses.
If the benefits based on your ex-spouse’s earnings record are higher than you would receive based on your own earnings, you can apply for spousal benefits, and you may be eligible for survivor benefits too….