Mary Beth Franklin

Mary Beth Franklin is a Contributing Editor at Investment News specializing in Social Security, Medicare and Retirement income. She has been a financial journalist for more than 40 years, covering everything from federal budget and tax policies as a Capitol Hill reporter for United Press International to consumer finances as a writer and editor at Kiplinger’s Personal Finance magazine. Mary Beth became a Certified Financial Planner in 2015 and is an in-demand speaker at conferences for financial professionals as well as a frequent guest on numerous radio and television programs. She is the author of “Maximizing Your Social Security Retirement Benefits” and host of the Retirement Repair Shop podcast. In her free time, Mary Beth likes to read, garden, ski and play the piano. She received a BA in Communications from American University in 1975 where she continues to mentor journalism students.

Mary Beth Franklin
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Social Security withholds retroactive retirement benefits
RETIREMENT RETIREMENT PLANNING JUN 24, 2020
Social Security withholds retroactive retirement benefits

The agency is delaying lump-sum payouts of back benefits amid the pandemic

INmail: Get phone help from Social Security Admin during the pandemic
RETIREMENT RETIREMENT PLANNING JUN 22, 2020
INmail: Get phone help from Social Security Admin during the pandemic

Receiving Social Security benefits on someone else’s earnings record.

INmail: Claiming strategy for nonworking spouse
RETIREMENT RETIREMENT PLANNING JUN 15, 2020
INmail: Claiming strategy for nonworking spouse

What’s the best Social Security claiming strategy for a married couple where the husband is 67 and the wife, who has no earnings history of her own, is 65?

Social Security underpays more than 15,000 survivors
RETIREMENT RETIREMENT PLANNING JUN 15, 2020
Social Security underpays more than 15,000 survivors

An audit shows many retired widows and widowers are due higher survivor benefits

Few use CARES Act to tap retirement savings
RETIREMENT RETIREMENT PLANNING JUN 10, 2020
Few use CARES Act to tap retirement savings

Even though plan sponsors are offering easy access to retirement accounts, few workers have taken advantage of that

INmail: Switching between retirement and survivor benefits
RETIREMENT RETIREMENT PLANNING JUN 08, 2020
INmail: Switching between retirement and survivor benefits

Could I stop collecting my retirement benefit, switch to my survivors benefit and then switch back to my retirement benefit at age 70?

Medicare enrollment complicated by the pandemic
RETIREMENT RETIREMENT PLANNING MAY 28, 2020
Medicare enrollment complicated by the pandemic

Newly eligible individuals can apply online, but some older workers who lose their jobs can’t

Social Security has a quick cash solution
RETIREMENT RETIREMENT PLANNING MAY 19, 2020
Social Security has a quick cash solution

Clients 66 and older can request a lump-sum payment and still earn bigger future benefits

No Social Security cost-of-living boost likely in 2021
RETIREMENT RETIREMENT PLANNING MAY 12, 2020
No Social Security cost-of-living boost likely in 2021

The plunge in oil prices is expected to eliminate any benefit increase for next year

Rethinking retirement amid the COVID-19 crisis
RETIREMENT RETIREMENT PLANNING MAY 10, 2020
Rethinking retirement amid the COVID-19 crisis

As experts revise the 4% rule — to 3%, or even lower — advisers should look beyond traditional investments and include all household assets in retirement income plans