The new year is a time for many people, companies and organizations to make resolutions for the year ahead.

In past years, Social Security has suggested resolutions to readers, such as to plan ahead for your retirement, check your Social Security statement and safeguard your Social Security card and number.

This year, we’d like to turn the tables and pledge to you our own resolutions as an agency. So, in 2009 Social Security resolves to make it easy to plan your retirement online.

Our online retirement estimator is rated the best online service in government. You just answer a few identifying questions and it will use your earnings record to automatically give you an accurate estimate of your future retirement benefits.

You can play around with variables (such as when you’d like to retire and how much you expect to earn in the future) to see different retirement amounts. This should be the first step and a regular check point for planning a comfortable retirement.

The address is www.socialsecurity.gov/estimator.

This year, improvements to our online retirement application make it easier than ever before to apply for retirement benefits.

Because the improved application is streamlined and only shows questions applicable to you, it can take as little as 15 minutes to complete the entire application from start to finish. And in many cases, once you hit the “sign now” button, all you have to do is wait for the payments to begin arriving every month.

The address is www.socialsecurity.gov/r&m2.htm

Staying in the know about news, events, changes and important information at Social Security is now easier than ever.

We have two great ways for you to have the news come to you automatically. Receive an email alert each time new information is added to our website by subscribing to updates.

Just click on the red envelope at the top of the page. Whether you want to subscribe to everything or a specific topic on the web page, the choice is yours at www.socialsecurity.gov.

You also can subscribe to our award-winning electronic newsletter, Social Security eNews, to receive news as it happens. Subscribe by going to www.socialsecurity.gov/enews and selecting the “subscribe” link at the right of the page.

Make it easier for you to do your business with us the way you’d like to do it.

Social Security provides you with a variety of ways to take care of your business. Social Security now offers many of its most popular services online at www.socialsecurity.gov.

You can also call us toll free at 1-800-772-1213 and use our automated services or talk to a representative. And you can always stop in at your local Social Security office.

In 2009, and for many years to come, Social Security resolves to help you.

Bette L. Backus is the Social Security manager in Ironton.