March is Women's History month - a time to focus not just on the past, but on the challenges women continue to face in the 21st century. Social Security plays a vital role in the lives of women. With longer life expectancies than men, elderly women tend to live more years in retirement and have a greater chance of exhausting other sources of income. Today, women represent 57 percent of all Social Security beneficiaries age 62 and older and approximately 70 percent of beneficiaries age 85 and older.

In terms of benefits, Social Security treats individuals with identical earnings histories the same - regardless of their gender. But the unique challenges faced by career women include time away from the office to raise a family and may account, in part, for the disparity that still exists between female and male workers. For example, the median earnings of full-time working women in 2006 were $33,000, compared to $42,000 for men.

As a result, experts generally agree that if women want to ensure that their retirement years are comfortable, they need to plan early and wisely.

The best place to begin is by knowing what you can expect to receive from Social Security - and how much more you are likely to need.

Each year, every worker age 25 and older is mailed a Social Security statement. Read it carefully, because it contains information vital to your personal financial future. It shows how much you and your family can expect to receive from Social Security when

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you retire, or if you become disabled or die.

If you would like more information about the role of Social Security in women's lives today, Social Security also has a publication that you may find useful. It is called "Social Security: What Every Woman Should Know." To obtain a free copy, call Social Security's tollfree number at 1-800-772-1213.

Reaching age 65 or full retirement age in 2008? - If you will turn 65 or reach full retirement age in 2008 and have not filed a Social Security or Medicare application, we can provide you with information that will be helpful in determining when to file an application. Mail us the following information:

- Your name.
- Social Security number.
- Estimated 2007 earnings.
- Estimated 2008 earnings.
- Complete mailing address.
- Telephone number (both home and work).
-Date of birth.
- If you plan to retire in 2008, month in which you would.
- Spouse's Social Security number.
- Spouse's date of birth.
- If spouse is deceased, give date of death.

Send it to: Your Social Security, Social Security Administration, 3885 Main St., 3rd Floor, Bridgeport CT 06606. Attn: A. Renzoni. Anthony Renzoni is district manager of the Bridgeport office of the Social Security Administration.

His column appears every Monday.