Mary Beth Franklin is one of the country’s leading experts on Social Security. In fact, she has been called the “Google of Social Security." With more than 2,700 rules that determine the amount of Social Security benefits, it can become complicated. As a top Social Security Advisor, Mary Beth understands the rules and their nuances. Through a series of free articles on this site, she explains how a thoughtful Social Security claiming strategy can enhance a retirement income plan based on age, health, marital status, and other sources of income.

In addition to being a top Social Security Advisor, Mary Beth is also a veteran personal finance journalist and certified financial planner. With that background, Mary Beth can help both consumers and financial professionals determine the appropriate claiming strategy for their unique situation. For a more in-depth explanation of Social Security rules and claiming strategies, you can buy her newly revised 2023 eBook “Maximizing Social Security Benefits” HERE>.

Mary Beth Franklin has been a journalist for more than 40 years, always based in Washington, D.C., and usually writing about money. From covering big-picture economic policy issues as a congressional correspondent for United Press International to writing consumer-focused personal finance articles as the retirement and tax editor for Kiplinger’s Personal Finance magazine, Mary Beth has earned a reputation for explaining complicated topics in a clear and conversational manner.

In 2012, Mary Beth became a columnist for Investment News, a publication for financial advisors. Her work was cited for excellence numerous times. In 2016, she received the prestigious Jesse H. Neal award for Best Instructional Content for her article “Demystifying Social Security.” That same year, she received a Hero award from the Women’s Institute for Secure Retirement (WISER) for her educational efforts to improve retirement security for women.

In 2021, Editor and Published presented Mary Beth with an EPPY award, citing her “On Retirement” column as the best business blog of the year. In 2022, she won a runner-up EPPY award in the same category and also received the Investment News Trailblazer award for her contributions to the retirement income planning profession as part of its annual Women to Watch event.

Mary Beth Franklin is an in-demand public speaker, both in person and online. During the past decade, she has traveled around the country offering educational seminars about Social Security and Medicare for consumers, financial professionals, and their clients.

Her in-depth knowledge of Social Security rules and her extensive knowledge of the role Social Security benefits can play in an overall retirement income plan has generated hundreds of speaking requests. As an added bonus, she responds to audience questions, offering specific guidance on their personal situations. Typically, audience members line up after live presentations to ask their individual questions, often waiting long after the seminar has ended for personalized responses to their questions.

Mary Beth also provides online presentations for both professional and consumer audiences, including illuminating slides to explain key rules and concepts, case studies to illustrate how various claiming strategies can maximize Social Security benefits based on an individual’s marital status, and her hallmark sense of humor that makes her presentations both engaging and memorable.

Over the years, host groups have included AssetMark, the national Financial Planning Association and local chapters, Lincoln Financial, Mutual of Omaha, New York Life Insurance, and Principal Financial Group, among others. She has also provided pro bono education seminars for Savvy Ladies, Women Investing in Security and Education (WISE), and the Women’s Institute on Secure Retirement (WISER).

Mary Beth has been featured on numerous radio and television programs, including NBC’s Today Show, The CBS Early Show, NPR’s Morning Edition, and PBS’s WealthTrack. Mary Beth is also a popular guest on a variety of podcasts, including those hosted by Clark Howard, Jean Chatzky, Paul Merriman, Morningstar, Wealthion, and the Carson Group. Those podcasts, along with Mary Beth’s own podcast, the Retirement Repair Shop, are available on Apple podcasts and Spotify. Click here to view selected podcast appearances on YouTube.