Social Security Asks: Go Direct

Go Direct is a new national campaign to motivate more seniors to select direct deposit for their federal benefit payments, such as Social Security and Supplemental Security Income (SSI). Direct deposit represents a significant savings over paper checks, some 75 cents per federal benefit payment. If all the annual 160 million benefit checks were converted to direct deposit, it would save taxpayers about $120 million each year.

Direct deposit is also safer than mailing checks because of the increased incidence of mail theft and identity theft. In 2004, more than 70,000 checks issued by the Treasury were stolen and forged. The checks totaled more than $61 million.

Direct deposit payments go right into a person's account, without him or her needing to go to the bank or credit union.

Today, about 78 percent of federal benefit payments are made by direct deposit, but the growth rate has been slipping. Unless the rate of direct deposit use increases, the costs associated with issuing paper checks will balloon as baby boomers start retiring in 2008.

It's simple to sign up for direct deposit through your financial institution or a local Social Security office. For more information, see www.GoDirect.org (English) or www.DirectoASuCuenta.org (Spanish), or you can call (800) 333-1795.

More for Seniors

Volunteering Can Change Lives, Including Your Own

By Pamela B. Smith, Director, County's Aging & Independence Services

Chuck Boles, a former Marine and employee of the U.S. State Department, retired in 1990. He put away his weapons and now spends four days a week reading stories, putting puzzles together and wiping runny noses.

Boles has been volunteering with the Little Angels Learning Center in Escondido since his wife kicked him out of the house, telling him to go do something useful. He landed where he feels most useful.

"The first few days, the children viewed me with some suspicion…not only was I an unknown adult, but a male one at that," says Boles, who has no grandchildren of his own. "Over time, they came to accept me and the results have been truly rewarding. Give me a smile, or a leg hug, and I'm good for another week. They are so innocent, so trusting, and often enough, need a hug of their own."Even though the drive from his Rancho Penasquitos home can be challenging at times," he says, "I wouldn't miss this for the world. Once I get there, the rest is golden."

Boles and the Little Angels Learning Center participate in a program called First 5, where older adults help prepare children age 5 and younger for school. First 5 is one of the growing number of meaningful volunteer opportunities for seniors.

Today's retirees are ready and willing to tackle more involving and socially significant volunteer activities than were commonly available in the past. Don't make them stuff envelopes. They want to use their interests, skills and intelligence when they give their valuable time to an organization. Some retirees want to pursue volunteer work that is similar to what they did for their careers, only without the same 40 hour-plus work schedule. Others, as with Boles, want activities that are very different from what they have ever done before.

Volunteer options are diverse. They range from being an advocate for abused and neglected children to being a peer counselor. There are opportunities to help wildlife, distribute food to the needy, teach people how to avoid being a victim of fraud, be a docent for your favorite museum. The list is only as short as your imagination. Just about every government and nonprofit entity survives because of the dedication of its volunteers.

The County's Retired & Senior Volunteer Program (RSVP)

is a great resource for identifying a retiree's volunteer desires and

where to get those wishes met. Call (858) 505-6399.

RSVP provides the following reasons for volunteering:

Connect with your community.
Conserve funds for charities, nonprofits and faith-based and other community organizations by contributing your time.
Share your skills and gain new ones.
Develop self-esteem and self-confidence.
Meet new people from all walks of life.
Make important networking contacts.
Promote a worthwhile activity.
Feel needed and valued.
Experience something new.
Make your mark on future generations.

Salud+HealthInfo is for information and educational purposes only. You should not rely on this information as a substitute for personal medical attention, diagnosis or hands-on treatment. If you are concerned abut your health or that of a child, please consult your family's physician or health provider immediately and do not try to diagnose yourself.