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			Just logon to your computer 
			and visit our website at 
			
			
			www.socialsecurity.gov/applyonline.  
			You can apply online for your retirement benefits from the comfort 
			of your home or office.  It can take as little as 15 minutes. 
 
			In most cases, once your 
			application is submitted electronically, you are done. There are no 
			forms to sign and usually no documentation is required. Social 
			Security will process your application and contact you if any 
			further information is needed. 
 
			Regardless of when you plan to 
			retire, you should consider doing it about three months ahead of 
			time.  Then you will know that your payments will make it to you on 
			time. 
 
			If you are not quite ready to 
			retire but are thinking about doing so in the near future, you may 
			want to visit Social Security’s website to use our convenient and 
			informative retirement planner at 
			
			
			www.socialsecurity.gov/retire2.  
			Here you can find out just how close you are to meeting your 
			financial goals and then “bookmark” the website to file for 
			retirement benefits when you are ready.  From there, you can use our
			Retirement Estimator to get an instant, personalized estimate 
			of your retirement benefits. 
 
			Remember that you are always 
			first in line when you go online.  Learn more about Social Security 
			by visiting our website at 
			
			
			www.socialsecurity.gov   
			By Judith Bartels 
			Social Security District 
			Manager in Springfield, IL  
 
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