Marcia Mantell: What’s the Deal with Retirement Planning?

About Fun With Annuities Episode #133

If I had to choose a smart person to hang out with and drink a cup of coffee with, it would be Marcia Mantell.  She is the definition of “glass half full” when helping out retirees, pre-retirees, and baby boomers.  With over 30 years of experience, Marcia is a recognized expert in all things Social Security and Medicare.  She is the go-to source for people in the financial industry for real answers and unique insights into these important topics.

Marcia recently finished the 2nd Edition of her popular book, What’s The Deal with Retirement Planning for Women.  I immediately and instinctually came up with a great marketing tagline for Marcia when I said, “It’s written for women…but a must-read for men.”  That’s marketing gold because retirement planning should be a team sport when you are married.  Can I get an annuity AMEN on that one?!

You have to listen to the full podcast to find out what the Mantell Index is all about.  Forget the CPI (Consumer Price Index) to track inflation; I think Marcia’s index makes more sense to track the real impact of inflation for most households.  Let me put it this way, if Social Security based its increases on the Mantell Index, retirees would be very happy.  We also reviewed current Social Security payment increases and recent Medicare decreases.  To say that Marcia was happy about this retiree combo is an understatement.

Marcia and I both agreed that the country is already in a recession, and she summed it up by saying that it’s just a “hot mess.”  That’s an understatement, to say the least, and we both shared our frustration and worry for retirees and baby boomers.  The bottom line is that there are no perfect answers.

I haven’t laughed this much on my podcast in a long time.  Marcia is just a bright light of information.  You need to listen to some of the made-up words and phrases we come up with during our chat.  I also did my famous “Chester” voice, that my clients and podcast fans have come to love.

You will enjoy Marcia’s perspectives during this podcast.  Go buy her book when you get a chance.  You can thank me later.  Enjoy!

"You do need a financial advisor. The good news is there is tons of information out there. The bad news is there's tons of information out there; how do you sort through it?" —  Marcia Mantell.

Brief Bio on Co-host: Marcia Mantell

For nearly 30 years, Marcia Mantell has helped the country’s foremost financial services firms and advisors increase their knowledge of complex retirement concepts and regulations, then turn the technical into the tangible. Her remarkable ability to translate challenging retirement concepts into everyday language educates and motivates real people to take the right steps to achieve the retirement they desire. Her blog focuses on how boomers are redefining retirement and other newsy info.

Through her small business, Mantell Retirement Consulting, Inc., (est. 2005), Marcia develops innovative retirement income planning workshops and programs, fun and engaging retirement education programs and seminars, and writes extensively as a guest columnist and content creator, and curator. She is a retirement industry go-to for Social Security and Medicare expert-level information. To access the books Marcia has written, CLICK HERE.

In this episode, The Annuity Man and Marcia Mantell discuss:

• The good news that came with inflation
• What inflation really does
• Medicare Advantage or Medigap

Key Takeaways:

• Social security got a large boost. On the one hand, we’re all lamenting inflation, but then those who are getting social security or are waiting to claim will get the benefit of an 8.7% increase.
• Inflation makes us rethink priorities. It makes us have to reset our budgets and be more mindful about what we buy.
• To know whether Medicare Advantage is better for you or Medigap, you must decide what’s important to you. Medigap is about maximizing flexibility and having a steady budget throughout your retirement years. Medicare advantage is if you’re fine doing co-pay and being in a network.
• You can either get a financial advisor or do a lot of reading. There is a ton of information available; the challenge would be sorting out which information matters to you.

Fun With Annuities Podcast is hosted by America’s Annuity Agent®, Stan The Annuity Man®, and a Celebrity Co-Host. Hear facts with no sales pitches from the top independent agent in the country, licensed in all 50 states. Stan and his guests dive deep into topics such as annuities, finance, retirement, and so much more. It’s fun learning the facts and seeing if they’ll fit your personal retirement lifestyle. Thanks for being here!

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