You'll often hear that if you don't work and pay into Social Security for a certain number of years, you won't be entitled to benefits once you retire. But that's not necessarily true.

Even if you don't qualify for Social Security based on your own earnings record, you may be eligible for spousal benefits because your current or former spouse is entitled to income from Social Security. But it's important to know how spousal benefits work. And if you're planning to claim them, you'll want to steer clear of these pitfalls.

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Source Fool.com