One way they're doing this is by introducing a new online financial and retirement planning tool, called the Retirement Estimator.  You can find it here.

The Retirement Estimator allows individuals to get an immediate and personalized estimate of their potential Social Security retirement benefits to help them in their retirement planning.

It is convienent.  Since it is tied to actual Social Security earnings records, there is no need to manually enter years of earnings information.  The Retirement Estimator is also interactive, allowing users to compare different retirement options by changing "stop work" dates or expected earnings.

The Retirement Estimator is also secure - only the benefit estimates are provided online, ensuring that no personal information is revealed.

Also, remember individuals can save a trip to their local Social Security office by applying for retirement benefits online.  You can visit the Social Security's website here to apply online for retirement benefits - it's convienent and secure.