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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Government Health Care: A Before and After Story Jul 01, 2026

I recently got a new knee. Or to be precise, I got my second new knee. About 14 years ago, I was limping around like an old man. X-rays showed the cartilage on half of my right knee was gone. So I had that "bone on bone" problem that lots of old peop... Read More

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Divorced Men and Social Security Jun 24, 2026

Over the 29 years I've been writing this column, I have probably written a hundred columns directed at divorced women. But after answering some emails this week from men who had questions about benefits for divorcees, it dawned on me that I've almost... Read More

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How Many Questions Can I Answer Today? Jun 17, 2026

Usually, I will devote an entire column to answering just one question or dealing with just one Social Security issue. But every once in a while, I like to challenge myself by seeing how many questions I can answer in just one column. Obviously, when... Read More

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Benefit Computations: Simple and Advanced Jun 10, 2026

After doing this column for more than a quarter century, I've learned that with respect to how their benefits are figured, there are two kinds of potential Social Security beneficiaries. The vast majority are just looking for a general idea of how it... Read More