YOUR SOCIAL SECURITY

On Halloween, ghosts and goblins, monsters and skeletons, and all sorts of creatures will roam the streets with tricks and asking for treats. It can be a little frightening, even though it's all in jest.

Mr. Brown is District Manager of the Social Security Administration's Downtown New York Office.

There's something else that needlessly frightens some people: applying on-line for Social Security retirement benefits. But the good news is that those fears should be just as unwarranted as being afraid of children in costumes.

Save yourself a trip and apply for benefits from the safety of your own home or office by going on-line.

Applying for Social Security benefits on-line doesn't have to send shivers down your spine. There's nothing to be afraid of at www.socialsecurity.gov.

More and more people are discovering how convenient and easy it is to apply for benefits on-line at Social Security's Web site.

If you're not quite ready to retire, but you'd like to begin planning for it, there's an easy way to do that on-line too. Visit www.socialsecurity.gov/ estimator for a quick, accurate estimate of your future retirement benefits. Then, once you've fleshed out your retirement plans, you know where to go when the time comes to apply for benefits.

Does deciding when you should apply for retirement benefits seem tricky? Read our fact sheet, "When to Start Receiving Retirement Benefits," at http://socialsecurity.gov/pubs/10147.html for information that should make your decision easier.

Whether you're ready to retire or just want to take a peek, don't be afraid to visit www.socialsecurity.gov. You'll find it's full of useful treats.