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Social Security: Lightly Toasted, Not Burnt (my latest book)
aka: It’s Still Not Going Bankrupt This has been a tough year for Social Security. After the year started out on such a bright note with the repeal of WEP and GPO, things quickly soured. The new administration unleashed the doughgie boys (DOGE) into the gears of Social Security. And they wreaked havoc. Layers and layers of new identification rules…
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Medicare Part D Open Enrollment Period is Here
Time to Reshop Your Part D Plan for 2026 I left Dunkin’ Donuts this morning with a medium hot coffee on a blustery fall day. Two construction workers walked behind me, laughing. One of them said that when he retires,…
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Social Security for Divorced Individuals
Information and a checklist Too many myths and misconceptions swirl around Social Security. It’s frankly amazing how much people think they know about the program…and how wrong they can be. One of the most common misunderstandings concerns Social Security for…
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Mantell Retirement Consulting Celebrates 20th Anniversary
Much has changed in retirement from 2005 to 2025 It is wild to think that I started my independent consulting business 20 years ago this month. Frankly, I can’t believe it. On the one hand, it seems like just yesterday…
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2025 Social Security Trustees Report—Impact of a 23% Cut in Your Benefits
On June 18, 2025, the new troop of Social Security trustees released the 2025 Social Security Trustees Report. This annual requirement reports the health of four critical social safety net trust funds managed by the trustees. The four are OASI,…
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Should you be concerned about the privacy of your Social Security data?
The experts say, “Yes!” If you’ve ever had the breath knocked out of you, you know how you’re stunned and disoriented for a few seconds. Slowly, you start to breathe again. That’s how I felt—stunned and totally disoriented—when I attended…
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The Heart of Retirement Lies in Freedom
This phrase sums up what retirement should be for every Boomer and GenXer: The heart of retirement lies in freedom. The freedom to pursue passions, reinvent oneself, and live authentically. A philosophy we might all aspire to. And a goal…
WEP and GPO repealed—it took Congress 23 years to act
Many retired public sector workers will finally get the Social Security benefit they earned So, how is your New Year starting out? For nearly 3.5 million retirees who earned a pension from working in the public sector, it’s starting out…
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