News and Media

ThinkAdvisor | Social Security Slashed Staff Amid Claims of Massive Fraud. Now What?

Published: January 9, 2026

“Retirement planning experts like Jason Fichtner, a former acting deputy commissioner of Social Security, and Martha Shedden, president and co-founder of the National Association of Registered Social Security Analysts, were deeply troubled at the time. They worried that the combination of toxic rhetoric and actual workforce disruptions would jeopardize the SSA’s ability to deliver benefits and effectively serve its many millions of beneficiaries. Fast forward to early 2026 and the situation has improved, both Fichtner and Shedden recently told ThinkAdvisor, especially with respect to the spread of untrue information about the program from the highest levels of the federal government. The program’s funding outlook remains bleak, they warned, but conditions at the SSA itself appear to have stabilized.”

ThinkAdvisor | Social Security Crunch Time Is Just a Senate Term Away

Published: January 9, 2026

Shedden, the founder and president of the National Association of Registered Social Security Analysts, balanced optimism with real concerns. “I’m still optimistic because of the political power and relevance of older Americans who want to see their benefits protected,” Shedden said. “I’m also encouraged because, as was identified in the 2025 Trustees’ report, there are a significant number of interconnected policy levers that could be pulled to correct the program. For example, we could eliminate the Social Security maximum taxable wage while slowly raising the payroll tax. That would make a big difference.”

Newsday | As year’s first Social Security checks roll out, Long Islanders say it’s not enough

Published: January 9, 2026

“For most people who rely on Social Security for the majority of their retirement income, it’s not very much at all,” said Martha Shedden, president of the Melville-based National Association of Registered Social Security Analysts. The calculated increase “isn’t representative” of how seniors spend their money compared to the average wage earner, especially because older Americans tend to spend more on health care, she said…

U.S. News & World Report | What Is the Social Security COLA for 2027?

Published: December 22, 2025

“Each year, Social Security beneficiaries receive a cost-of-living adjustment, known as a COLA. In 2026, the COLA is bumping up Social Security checks by 2.8%. And while it may seem early to start thinking about 2027, some financial experts are already making predictions about what that year might bring. “We’re not anticipating anything greater than 3% at the highest,” says Martha Shedden, co-founder and president of the National Association of Registered Social Security Analysts.”

MarketWatch | Gen Z would rather cut Social Security benefits for current retirees than pay higher taxes to save the program

Published: December 16, 2025

NARSSA’s Martha Shedden is quoted in MarketWatch discussing generational misunderstandings about how Social Security works and the broader role the program plays beyond retirement.

Press Release | NARSSA Expands to Nearly 2,000 Locations for Americans Needing Assistance From Certified Social Security Experts

Published: December 10, 2025

NARSSA has announced that it has expanded its nationwide network of nearly 2,000 field locations where Americans can seek both in-person and remote access to certified Social Security experts. Known as Registered Social Security Analysts (RSSA®), these experts provide additional value added services beyond what employees at the Social Security Administration offer, including the ability to file applications for Social Security benefits, troubleshoot unique cases involving benefit applications, as well as the filing and management of appeals cases when particular benefit applications are denied by the Social Security Administration (SSA)…