Social Security Retirement Mistakes to Avoid

Kathy Stokes has worked in and around the financial security arena for most of her career. As Director of Fraud Prevention Programs with AARP’s Fraud Watch Network, she leads AARP’s efforts in helping members and other consumers protect themselves and their families from scams and fraud. In addition, Kathy serves as a subject matter expert on Social Security for AARP’s consumer outreach activities. Before joining AARP in 2016, Kathy worked with the Brookings Institution’s Retirement Security Project, the Employee Benefit Research Institute, the American Savings Education Council, and Ernst & Young’s national tax group. She also ran her communications consulting practice with clients in the financial education and retirement space for a decade. Kathy holds a bachelor’s degree in Rhetoric and Communication from the University of Pittsburgh and a master’s degree in American Government from Johns Hopkins University.

Robert Clark provides consulting services on Social Security issues for financial professionals. He started the business in June 2014 after a 38-year career with the Social Security Administration (SSA). Robert began his career with SSA in 1975 as a Social Insurance Specialist. He served as SSA’s Public Affairs Specialist for Northern New England from 1999 until his retirement in 2014. As a Public Affairs Specialist, he was responsible for enriching the public’s understanding of Social Security programs. He was a frequent speaker at events for the public and served as liaison to governmental and non-governmental agencies and organizations. Robert is a graduate of the University of Massachusetts, Amherst (1975), where he received a Bachelor’s of Science degree in Psychology. He currently resides in Maine.