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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.

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Mary Beth Franklin: How to play the Social Security age game

Sometimes it makes sense for one spouse to claim benefits early.

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Retirement plan limits less limited next year

But catch-up contribution caps for workers 50 and older remain unchanged

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Flat COLA: Medicare hikes will offset Social Security increase

The Social Security Administration on Tuesday announced that the cost-of-living-adjustment for 2013 will be a measly 1.7%. And as Mary Beth Franklin points out, that small increase could be gutted by hikes in Medicare premiums.

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The skinny: Delaying retirement won’t fatten Social Security check

But waiting to claim benefits will increase monthly income

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The UnCOLA: Social Security recipients to get puny cost-of-living boost

Bad news for Social Security recipients: The cost-of-living adjustment in 2013 will be puny. How puny? Likely, less than half of what it was in 2012.

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Are advisers giving bad Social Security advice? Survey says yes

New research from Wharton shows that many financial advisers are giving their clients shortsighted -- or plain bad -- advice about Social Security.

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Seniors to get puny Social Security COLA

Social Security recipients will receive a cost-of-living adjustment for 2013, but it will be only about half as…

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Payroll tax takes a holiday — and could doom Social Security

Public trustee bemoans break with historic self-financed structure

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Sharper tools in the box? Retirement income programs getting better

Best of the lot focus on tradeoff strategies to meet income goals; wildly different answers a worry, however

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Tax hit from fiscal cliff a real doozie

Think tank projects tax hike of $3,500 per household