RETIRE ONLINE.
IT'S SO EASY!
By Lorraine Kelly
Social Security Staff Assistant, Media Cities Social Security Office
Burbank, Calif. (January 2009) – Social Security has
a new online retirement application and a new celebrity spokesperson to help spread the
word.
You can apply for retirement benefits from the comfort of your home or
office at www.socialsecurity.gov.
There's no need to drive to your local Social Security office or wait for an appointment
with a Social Security representative. You can complete the new online retirement
application in as little as 15 minutes. It's so easy!
In most cases, after you click the "Sign Now" button and submit
the application electronically, that's it. There are no forms to sign, and usually no
additional documents are required. Social Security will contact you directly if more
information is needed.
Award-winning actress Patty Duke has volunteered her services to let
people know they can retire online. Ms. Duke has brought back the much beloved identical
cousins Patty and Cathy Lane from the hit 1960's sitcom "The Patty Duke Show"
for a series of Public Service Announcements that tell Americans it's now easier than ever
to apply online.
If you are uncertain about when to retire, you can check out the online
fact sheet, "When To Start Receiving Retirement Benefits." And if you are not
ready to retire, you can plan for retirement using Social Security's online Retirement
Estimator. It is a great financial planning tool that will give you an immediate and
personalized estimate of how much your retirement benefits would be if you stopped working
at age 62, age 66, age 70 or any point in between.
To learn more about retiring online as well as to watch the new Public
Service Announcements, go to www.socialsecurity.gov/pattyduke.
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