Closing The Year With Confidence

Come and listen to our Host, Candace Gish, as she chats with today's guest, Marcia Mantell, for our “End of Year, Beginning of Me” Podcast Series.A powerfully themed mini-series helping women close the year with clarity and step into the next one with grounded self-love and vision.For over 30 years, Marcia Mantell has helped the country's foremost financial services firms and advisors increase their knowledge of complex retirement concepts and regulations. She has a remarkable ability to translate those concepts into everyday language that educates and motivates real people to take the right steps to achieve the retirement they desire. Marcia has been named an IA25 Honoree by ThinkAdvisor—one of the “advisors, experts and leaders in financial services who are pushing the industry forward.” As founder of Mantell Retirement Consulting, Inc. (est. 2005) she regularly partners with financial institutions and advisors to help support their customers across the retirement spectrum—from accumulation to the transition into retirement, and then to organizing and managing income to last a lifetime. She brings an impressive amount of retirement, Social Security, and Medicare knowledge to the financial industry and directly to future retirees through their employers or in partnership with financial advisors.  Known for “translating” technical economic and investment jargon, Social Security and Medicare rules, and complex retirement topics into language that consumers can understand, Marcia has developed innovative retirement income planning workshops for advisors, and comprehensive retirement education programs for plan participants and consumers at all levels of wealth. She is a highly sought-after speaker bringing her signature enthusiasm and energy to conferences, webinars, live webcasts, and podcasts. While at Fidelity Investments (1992−2005), she was Vice President of Retirement Products and Marketing, responsible for developing IRA and Small Business programs for consumers. She also served as Fidelity’s retirement spokesperson to the media in national and regional consumer and advisor publications. She’s the author of four must-read books for everyone who wants to retire. Her lively how-to discussion guide and workbook, Cookin’ Up Your Retirement Plan, was featured in the Wall Street Journal article, “5 Books to Help You Build a Bigger Nest Egg” (July 2025). Her other titles include What’s the Deal with Retirement Planning for Women, Creating Your Medicare Recipe, and her latest book, Social Security: Lightly Toasted, Not Burnt.Marcia’s long-running blog, BoomerRetirementBriefs.com, showcases a light-hearted, but thought-provoking look at how Baby Boomers are reshaping and reinventing retirement. Plus, you’ll find in-depth updates on the current state of affairs in Social Security and Medicare.We explore how to end the year with clarity and step into 2026 with a practical retirement plan, more honest money talks, and a sense of purpose that lasts. Marcia Mantel shares clear steps for Social Security timing, Medicare basics, and designing a 30-year retirement you’ll actually enjoy.• reframing retirement beyond age 65 into a 30-year design• why waiting to claim social security can boost lifetime income• breaking the silence around money so women lead their planning• simple steps to build financial autonomy and credit history• books and worksheets that turn ideas into action• practical year-end planning using quarters, calendars and checklists• how to craft purpose, work and community into later life• resources to learn medicare, estate basics and risk planningFor more Divas That Care Network Episodes visit www.divasthatcare.com