Early Boomer Retirees and the 'Net

Starting tomorrow, the first of the 78 million baby boomers become eligible for early retirement benefits, and the Social Security Administration hopes the more computer savvy of the boomers will turn to the agency's Web site for information, according to The Dallas Morning News.

"Look online first," Wes Davis, a Social Security spokesman in Dallas, told the paper. "If that's not possible, call our toll-free number [1-800-772-1213] or make an appointment to visit one of our offices."

Phone calls and office visits are more likely to be the preferred choice to gather retirement information, we think. Unlike their children (maybe their children's children?), who grew up with easy access to cell phones, laptops and other electronic gadgets, the first boomers (born in 1946) were well into their thirties before desktop PCs and cell phones were commonplace, and over 50 before the Internet was used routinely. We'll track SSA's Web traffic to see if it experiences any unusual traffic. But we're guessing the traffic will be more on foot and over land lines.