City of Elmhurst (IL) widow’s pension
Hello Terry,
Followed you for many, years and have made a great financial life for myself based on a lot of your advice!
QUESTION: I can not find anywhere in the Illinois pension laws if I would lose my deceased husband’s police pension from the City of Elmhurst if I remarried. I am about to turn 63 years old shortly. Any ideas on this?
Terry Says
Immediately contact the City of Elmhurst treasurer’s office at (630) 530-3000 and get their answer to this question in writing!
And you might also contact SecureIllinoisRetirements.org, a non profit organization that is working to make sure Illinois public pensions are fully funded. The should be able to direct you to the experts who can answer your question specifically. Ask for Katie Dunne at (312) 248-1763.
In general, pension contracts cannot be invalidated. Assuming your deceased husband created a survivorship annuity for you when he took his pension, it cannot be changed.
You’re probably thinking about some Social Security provisions that impact benefits for those who remarry. If you are divorced and collecting ex-spousal benefits, you lose them if you remarry, unless you qualify for an exception.
Glad to hear you’ve found happiness again. But when it comes to finances, please get a copy of my co-authored book “The New Love Deal” on Amazon. It will give you some other issues to clear up before you remarry!!
