Fixed Income

Simple and Smart Update

There is a great book written by yours truly that can answer your social security questions.
Simple and Smart Update
The 2026 version of Tom Margenau's book on social security is now available. J. Frederick/Shutterstock
Tom Margenau
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Readers are always asking me if I could recommend a good book about Social Security. I always steer them to the best book out there. It’s called “Social Security Simple and Smart—10 easy-to-understand fact sheets that will answer all your questions about Social Security.” And it just happens to be written by yours truly!

I bring this up today because the (slightly delayed) 2026 version of the book is now available. I redo the book every year to incorporate the latest numbers that are updated by law annually. For example, when I talk about the earnings penalty that applies to Social Security beneficiaries under their full retirement age who are still working, the 2025 edition of the book says the earnings limit is $23,400 and the 2026 edition says the earnings limit is now $24,480. There are about a dozen of these kinds of number changes that I update every year.

Tom Margenau
Tom Margenau
Author
Tom Margenau worked for 32 years in a variety of positions for the Social Security Administration before retiring in 2005. He has served as the director of SSA’s public information office, the chief editor of more than 100 SSA publications, a deputy press officer and spokesman, and a speechwriter for the commissioner of Social Security. For 12 years, he also wrote Social Security columns for local newspapers, and recently published the book “Social Security: Simple and Smart.” If you have a Social Security question, contact him at [email protected]