The Social Security Commission is encouraging the 80 million baby boomers in the United States to sign up for their retirement benefits online. Award-winning actress Patty Duke is helping get the word out with new commercials that feature her famous alter egos from the classic sitcom, The Patty Duke Show. Patty says it's just a fun way to introduce things to the public.

The Commissioner of Social Security Michael Astrue says it's an easy process. Go to the Social Security website for the online retirement application. They also have streaming video that will walk you through the application. And that's where you can see the Patty Duke video, as well. It's actually very amusing to see Patty and Cathy as seventy-year olds!!

Mr. Astrue says that the other thing that people may want to consider doing before they file is looking at the new online estimator. It goes into your personal earning record and gives you a highly precise estimate of what your monthly check would be if you retired at sixty-two, retired at sixty-five, retired at sixty-eight.