What’s Marcia Writing About?
Sharing Her Perspective in Print
Marcia loves writing anything and everything about retirement.
She is passionate about Social Security—and helping people make smarter decisions about this important income source. She’s a consumer advocate for those wrestling with the many pieces and parts of Medicare. Marcia is equally passionate about helping near-retirees organize their financial houses before retiring.
And she knows the key to more successful retirements for more consumers is helping more Financial Advisors understand baby boomers and how they think about retirement.
She reaches financial advisors in her series of guest articles published in Think Advisor and Life & Health Advisor Magazine. And consumers read her monthly articles in Retirement Daily on The Street.
You are welcome to read them all!
Featured Technical Papers

Social Security: Making Smarter Decisions Is Critical to Mitigating Retirement Risks Women Face

Social Security Claiming Decisions and Withdrawal Strategies for High-Income Clients: Maximizing Social Security Is Not Always the Best Option

ThinkAdvisor – Connecting the Dots Column
- Dec 9, 2025: How Concerned Should Advisors Be About Social Security Cuts? Very.
- Apr 28, 2025: In Turbulent Times, Should Clients Claim Social Security Earlier Than Planned?
- Mar 3, 2025: Talk to Your Female Clients Now About Social Security
- Jan 7, 2025: The Social Security Fairness Act Is Law. Here’s What Advisors Should Do Now
- Dec 2024: How to Ease Clients’ Post-Election Social Security Fears
- Oct 2024: Clients Waiting Until 70 to Claim Social Security? 3 Bits of Friendly Advice
- Aug 2024: The Big Social Security Question Facing Stay-at-Home Spouses
- Jun 2024: For Young Widows, the Best Social Security Claiming Choice Isn’t Always What It Seems
- Mar 2024: How to Help Women Claim Social Security in 4 Different Situations
- Jan 2024: How to Talk to Clients Under 55 About Social Security
- Dec 2023: 3 Interesting Social Security Questions Advisors Asked This Year
- Oct 2023: When Clients Claim Social Security Early, Take These Steps to Avoid Surprises
- Aug 2023: The Big Thing Clients Don’t Get About Social Security Spousal Benefits
- Jun 2023: What to Do When Social Security COLAs Can’t Keep Up With Reality
- Mar 2023: 3 Big Shifts That Transformed Social Security Benefits for Women
- Feb 2023: Beware of Social Security Agents Bearing Lump-Sum Offers
- Nov 2022: Social Security COLA: What Clients Don’t Know Could Lead to a Claiming Mistake
- Sept 2022: Should This Client Claim Social Security Before 70?
- Jun 2022: Avoiding Nasty Surprises in Roth IRA Conversions: A Case Study
- May 2022: How Social Security Spousal Benefits Really Work: A Case Study
- Mar 2022: Social Security Benefits are Taxed. Ouch!
- Jan 2022: The Hidden Hazards of Taking a Social Security Lump Sum
- Nov 2021: Social Security Claiming and the Divorced Spouse, Part 2: Remarriage
- Sept 2021: A Wife Is Left by Her Husband. How Can She Claim on His Social Security?
- Jul 2021: How to Fine-Tune Your Client’s Social Security Claiming Strategy
- Jun 2021:Can You Spot the Social Security Claiming Mistakes, Part 2
- May 2021: Can You Spot the Social Security Claiming Mistakes, Part 1

Life & Health Advisor Magazine – Guest Columns
- Jun 2024: Guiding Social Security Conversations With Younger Clients
- Mar 2024: Claiming Social Security At 62: A dual dilemma for dependent wives
- May 2023: When Is Social Security Going Bankrupt? Hint: Trick Question
- Apr 2023: Longevity, Women, And Social Security – It’s about more than her
- Nov 2022: Medicare Madness: Prescription Drug Plans, Pricing And Penalties – Modern medicine’s magic often comes with a steep price
- Oct 2022: Medicare Madness: Options for Paying Your Share of Costs – Clients can choose a Medigap Supplemental Plan or Medicare Advantage
- Jul 2022: Medicare Madness: Part B’s Unwanted Houseguest – Set expectations about IRMAA for your high-income clients
- Mar 2022: Medicare Madness: Mistakes & Missteps With Part A
- Nov 2021: Can Debt Derail An Otherwise Sound Retirement Plan?
- Sep 2021: Combating Social Security Skepticism
- May 2021: Clients Over 65 and Still Working? Beware! Social Security and Medicare Collide with Employer Group Health Plans
- Mar 2021: That 401(k) Isn’t All Yours: Time for financial advisors to address the power imbalance for married women
- Nov 2020: Integrating Social Security and Medicare for Early Retirees
- Aug 2020: Celebrating 100 Years of the 19th Amendment & 85 Years of Social Security
- Jul 2020: Missing Out on Higher Social Security Benefits
- May 2020: Social Security Decisions in the COVID-19 Era
- Mar 2020: Walking Down Wall Street In A Woman’s Shoes
- Feb 2020: Women & Social Security, 5 Common, and Avoidable, Missteps
- Oct 2019: Women, Planning and The Reality of Longevity: Are Social Security’s rules, and the benefits, really different for women?
- Sep 2019: Finding Hidden Potential with Middle Market Pre-Retirees
- May 2019: Making Contact, And Making Sense, With The LGBTQ Community: How do traditionally trained advisors connect with a market that has been wholly under-served?
- Feb 2019: Young Advisor and Baby Boomers – Like Oil and Water?
- Dec 2018: Social Security Restricted Application – Still Alive and Well in 2019
- Nov 2018: Advising High Net Worth Clients… and Their Social Security
- Oct 2018: Will Social Security Really Be There for Your Clients’ Retirement Income?
- Sept 2018: Using Social Security Statements as a Decision-Making Tool
- Aug 2018: Social Security: The Foundation For Retirement Income

Marcia’s Articles Written for Retirement Daily on The Street
- May 8, 2025: Thinking of Claiming Social Security Earlier Than Planned?
- Mar 31, 2025: Embrace a Second (or Third) Career: A Guide for Women Over 50 Facing Job Loss
- Mar 14, 2025: Is Your Social Security Data Safe?
- Jan 28, 2025: Ask Bob: Dental, Vision and Hearing Coverage with Medicare
- Jan 14, 2025: What the Social Security Fairness Act Means for You
- Dec 23, 2024: Maximize Your Charitable Impact: 12 Tips for Giving Season
- Dec 2, 2024: Medicare Part D Premiums Skyrocket: What Seniors Need to Know – video and transcript
- Nov 29, 2024: Small Businesses: The Heartbeat of Our Communities
- Nov 9, 2024: Medicare Part B Premiums Soar in 2025: What You Need to Know
- Oct 8, 2024: Ask Bob: Spousal vs. Survivor Social Security Benefits (subscription required)
- Oct 4, 2024: Those 50-cent Medicare Part D Premiums Are Long Gone for 2025
- Oct 2, 2024: What Are the Mysterious Medicare ACOs?
- Sept 17, 2024: Get Ready for Medicare’s Open Enrollment Period
- Aug 21, 2024: Decoding Medicare Part D: A Guide to Lower Drug Costs
- Jun 20, 2024: Retiring in Your 50s? Here’s How It Affects Your Social Security Benefits
- May 14, 2024: Man vs. Machine: Federal Employees: Navigating Medicare and FEHB for Robust Retirement Healthcare
- Mar 29, 2024: Married Women & Retirement: The Truth About IRA Ownership
- Mar 5, 2024: Understanding Medicare Part A and Skilled Nursing Facility Care: What You Need to Know
- Feb 23, 2024: Will You Lose Benefits in Your Medicare Advantage Plan?
- Feb 16, 2024: Are You Thinking About Your Life as A Retiree?
- Dec 22, 2023: 12 Days of Christmas – Retirement Income Style
- Nov 17, 2023: 5 Medicare Part D “Gotchas” To Avoid
- Nov 2, 2023: 10 Questions To Ask About Your Medicare Advantage Plan During Open Enrollment
- Oct 13, 2023: 50-Cent Medicare Part D Premiums in 2024? Yes, Really!
- Sept 13, 2023: HSAs and Medicare (Part 3): the Part A Retroactive Period
- Aug 31, 2023: HSAs and Medicare (Part 2): Can I Make a Lump Sum Contribution Before Enrolling?
- Aug 29, 2023: HSAs and Medicare (Part 1): When to Stop HSA Contributions
- Jun 13, 2023: How To Face Retirement Uncertainty
- Apr 26, 2023: Social Security is NOT going bankrupt
- Mar 28, 2023: Women’s History: The 1990s Were Pivotal for Financial Advances
- Mar 8, 2023: Watch Out for This Social Security Hidden Trap
- Feb 10, 2023: Three Ways to Put Some Fun Into Your Retirement Planning
- Nov 22, 2022: Talkin’ Turkey: Medigap or Medicare Advantage?
- Oct 12, 2022: Nearing 65? Is Medicare Your Only Insurance Option?
- Sep 29, 2022: 2023 Medicare Part B Premiums: Some Welcome Good News (with video)
- Sep 27, 2022: Social Security and State Pensions –A Concerning Trend for Younger Public Sector Workers
- Sep 5, 2022: New Social Security Resources for the LGBTQ+ Community
- Aug 19, 2022: Women’s Financial Security is Still Unequally Controlled
- Jul 21, 2022: Planning for Social Security in Your 60s
- May 10, 2022: Your Social Security Statement: Pros and Cons of the Latest Version
- Mar 25, 2022: Medicare Part D Prescription Drug Cost Analysis: Shocked and Disillusioned (Part 3)
- Mar 11, 2022: Medicare Part D Prescription Drug Cost Analysis: Shocked and Disillusioned (Part 2)
- Mar 8, 2022: 10 Financial “Pearls of Wisdom” from Mothers to their Daughters
- Feb 25, 2022: Medicare Part D Prescription Drug Cost Analysis: Shocked and Disillusioned (Part 1)
- Dec 17, 2021: 12 Tips for Choosing Your Charities
- Nov 24, 2021: Parent PLUS Loans Derailing Retirement
- Nov 19, 2021: 2022 Medicare Part B Premiums Announced
- Sep 28, 2021: The Spousal IRA: Retirement Hope for At-Home Parents During the COVID-19 Crisis
- Aug 9, 2021: What Really Happens if Social Security “Disappears?”
- Jun 23, 2021: EGTRRA Turns 20 – Opportunities for More Retirement Savings
- Jun 14, 2021: Your Credit Score Will Influence your Retirement Choices
- Jun 2, 2021: Realities of Downsizing: Insights and Advice from a Transitions and Moving Expert
- Apr 20, 2021: Build Your Hospital Grab & Go Kit in a Baggie
- Mar 19,2021: Married Couples: Isn’t That My 401(k), Too?
- Feb 22, 2021: Congratulations, You’ve Retired! Now What?
- Dec 30, 2020: 10 Financial Tips for Wrapping Up 2020 (with video interview)
- Nov 21, 2020: Thankful and Grateful for Local Small Businesses
- Nov 17, 2020: 8 Months of COVID – 8 Insights into Retirement
- Sept 22, 2020: Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg and Your Social Security Benefits: A Heartfelt Thank You (with video interview)
- Sept 15, 2020: Councils on Aging (COAs) Adapt in the Age of COVID-19
- Jul 28, 2020: Happy Birthday! Social Security Turns 85 (with video interview)
- Jul 20, 2020: 4 Reasons to Save Outside of Your 401(k) or 403(b) (with video interview)
- Jun 29, 2020: The Mom Gap Can Lower Your Social Security Benefit (with video interview)
- May 22, 2020: Social Security Is Not Going Bankrupt
- Jan 7, 2020: Is Social Security Really Different for Women?
- Apr 10, 2019: Ask Bob Social Security and Restricted Applications
- Jan 2, 2019: 10 Financial Tasks Baby Boomers Should Automate in the New Year
