About Tom Margenau

Tom Margenau

Tom Margenau

Tom Margenau worked for 32 years in a variety of positions for the Social Security Administration before retiring in 2005. For many years, he was the director of SSA's public information office at the agency’s headquarters in Baltimore, Md. In that post, he was the chief editor for more than 100 informational publications produced by SSA.

He also was SSA’s deputy press officer for several years, serving in that position as a chief spokesman for the Social Security Administration. Prior to that, he was a speechwriter for the Commissioner of Social Security. Before he moved to SSA's headquarters, he worked for 12 years in Social Security field offices around the country, where he processed Social Security claims while writing Social Security columns for local newspapers.

He has written the “Social Security and You ” column for national syndication since 1997. Margenau graduated from the University of Wisconsin in 1971. He is married and has two grown children and five grandchildren.

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Helping a Friend or Relative With Social Security Nov 04, 2026

This is going to be yet another column for those who want to help a friend or relative with their Social Security affairs. And it will get into the confusing issue of having a "power of attorney" designation and how that relates to Social Security. ... Read More

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More Social Security Reform Proposals Oct 28, 2026

In a recent column, I discussed the issue of the future of Social Security. I pointed out that there are many ideas for reforming Social Security that will keep the system solvent for generations to come. I told you that my book, "Social Security ... Read More

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Social Security COLA for 2027 Oct 21, 2026

In early October of every year, the Bureau of Labor Statistics releases its much-anticipated report on changes (usually increases) to the Consumer Price Index over the past 12 months. Why is this little esoteric government report — actually cal... Read More

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Social Security and Politics Oct 14, 2026

Every couple of years, whenever midterm or presidential elections come around, I like to remind my readers of a few things. And many times, it's in response to emails I get similar to this one: "I'm afraid that this upcoming election will lead to dra... Read More