A different reason not to join AARP...

[Gumby]

I have been receiving AARP's mailings for years, and assiduously ignoring them. I can't see any benefit to the young wife and me.

 

[Dtail]

I like their magazine and throw out everything else.

 

[Vinnygret]

Interesting, no cell phone. Whatever works for you and makes sense.

I am heartened to hear it. I don't yet have a smart phone and I resent that so many entities practically require you to have one to fully access their various benefits. I still use a flip phone and don't even always have it on me.

 

[Telly]

Oh yes, AARP is such an evil evil organization... oh their politics... let's post biased links that support our preconceived notions, and make believe we're not being "political".

 

[DrRoy]

We don't belong to AARP because they've never shown us they can do anything for us. Mostly they push insurance. We already have insurance as good or better through other providers.

+1 and don't like their politics. Plus, they promote various things where they get a kickback.

 

[ArmchairMillionaire23]

LOL!
Unusual and interesting -none of my business and not asking why, just left wondering why that specific 30" window in the middle of the night would be designated for financial stuff!

Not that you were asking, but here's the "why".
I usually get up between 3:05 and 3:15 M-F. (alarm is set for 3:20) After I shower, pack my lunch, make my breakfast and sit down in front of my laptop it's usually somewhere between 3:45 and 4:00. Around 4:20 I have to leave the computer, clean up, brush my teeth, make sure I have a mask, put on my steel-toed boots, jacket, gloves and a hat and head out to my truck to leave for work somewhere between 4:25 and 4:30. I get to work between 4:45 and 4:50 because my shift starts at 5:00.
So it's morning for me, not really the middle of the night. Almost all of my jobs since I finished school have started at 5:00. I guess I'm a morning person...
Early to bed, early to rise, makes a [-]man[/-] person healthy, wealthy and wise.
Here I thought that was a quote that originated with Benjamin Franklin but according to the Internet, English fishermen were saying that as early as the year 1496.
I learned something new already this morning. That takes care of the "wise" part, I guess.

 

[Alan]

I read through the advice on this forum and decided to sign up for AARP as I just turned 50! I understand some people disagree with the politics of AARP and some like them. Others just sign up for the discounts and that's what I was thinking about doing. I figured I could sign up for a year or two to see if it was worth it for me.

Then I tried to set up a username & password and I got this:

We take your online security seriously.
AARP is making access to your personal information more secure. Soon, you will be required to verify your identity with a one-time code whenever you access or update your personal information. This secure code will be sent to the verified phone number you provide.

Please enter the phone number you would like to use to verify your identity. We will never share or sell your number, only use it to make sure it is you. Data rates may apply. Terms & Conditions.

I do not have a mobile phone and I don't really feel like getting one any time soon. I do have a landline but I do most of my financial stuff online between 3:45 and 4:15 in the morning and I do not want my home phone ringing at that time and waking up the wife.

So no AARP for me.

The message says that 2FA will only be used whenever you update your personal information which will be rare once you have registered.

 

[jazz4cash]

I am heartened to hear it. I don't yet have a smart phone and I resent that so many entities practically require you to have one to fully access their various benefits. I still use a flip phone and don't even always have it on me.

No cellphone vs no smartphone is quite a different matter.

 

[Alan]

A few years ago EU law changed to require financial institutions to not use text messages for 2FA because of the prevalence of SIM card swap.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/SIM_swap_scam

The fraud exploits a mobile phone service provider's ability to seamlessly port a telephone number to a device containing a different subscriber identity module (SIM). This feature is normally used when a customer has lost or had their phone stolen, or is switching service to a new phone.

The scam begins with a fraudster gathering personal details about the victim, either by use of phishing emails, by buying them from organised criminals,[3] or by directly socially engineering the victim.

A number of high-profile hacks have occurred utilizing SIM swapping, including some on the social media sites Instagram and Twitter. In 2019, Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey's Twitter account was hacked via this method.

 

[pacergal]

I am not renewing our AARP this year.
I have never needed to show a card, I just get the discount whenever I ask for it.
I guess one look at me and my gray hair is enough to think I qualify! Lol.

 

[drb391]

I'm not an AARP member for the discounts or benefits. not even sure what, specifically, they are. I joined for the same reason as I did VFW and NARFE - to add to the numbers cited by lobbyists in DC, pushing for issues that benefit me

 

[Gotadimple]

+1 and don't like their politics. Plus, they promote various things where they get a kickback.

DrRoy,
You need to understand that AARP does not promote 'things.' They get paid to promote things. Anywhere there is mention of AARP they have been paid for the use of their name. If a company wants to use their logo (i.e. United Healthcare, Walgreens) they get paid even more.

They are a lobbying organization AND more importantly a marketing organization. On the marketing side they have the technical capabilities to use public census data to identify where seniors live, what their living arrangements are, who they live with, and their likely shopping habits. That is why dues are so low. They collect most of their money from firms that want the demographic (not names/addresses) data in order to market their firm's products.

There is nothing wrong with that as a way to fund their lobbying efforts. But they also spend millions through their AARP Foundation that focuses on feeding low-income seniors, over 50 careers and entrepreneurship, helping anyone file their income taxes, and with COVID getting volunteers to make calls to assure those who live alone are not alone.

I have issues with AARP in general - yes their politics around Medicare and Social Security - but they have found a way to make a difference for those who have no savings, are seniors, and are living on the edge.

- Rita

 

[mickeyd]

I started receiving AARP mailings at age 50 and they did not stop until 60+. I have never joined. I understand that they have a great marketing system built in order to "offer opportunities" to it's valuable members.

 

[CaptTom]

Remember that, whatever "political" position they take, they're risking losing 50% of their members. We live in a poisonously polarized environment.

If anything, I think they go too easy on politicians and policies which negatively impact seniors. If a politician (from either party) does or proposes something that will screw seniors, AARP won't call them out on it. The most they'll do is ask members to contact our lawmakers and tell them what we think about such-and-such issue.

Unfortunately, most people have only a knee-jerk reaction to support everything "their" party says or does, and complain about everything the "other" party says or does.

I don't know how any non-partisan organization can advocate anything in this environment. There's simply no issue which isn't turned into an "us vs. them" battle.

I keep paying my dues to AARP, even though I know there's only so much they can do. I wish they could do more, but that's the world we live in.

 

[Paulz]

Remember that, whatever "political" position they take, they're risking losing 50% of their members. We live in a poisonously polarized environment.

If anything, I think they go too easy on politicians and policies which negatively impact seniors. If a politician (from either party) does or proposes something that will screw seniors, AARP won't call them out on it. The most they'll do is ask members to contact their lawmakers.

I agree 100%. I haven't joined AARP or any of the others, but am a member of NARFE which is for active and retired Federal employees. In addition to the regular concerns of retirees, they advocate for Fed specific things. They also are apolitical, but when you are a federal employee both political parties are the enemy!

 

[braumeister]

I don't know what goes on behind the scenes, but I've always had the impression that AARP is interested primarily in anything that helps them sell more insurance, and anything that lets them license their name. After all, they are a business like any other, and politics are not their real focus.

The same goes for many national organizations. Look at the American Heart Association and their program of licensing their "heart healthy" symbol on sugary cereals.

 

[Time2]

I joined AARP to get the United Health Care Medicare ins.
I was told I don't need to renew once I have the insurance.
I don't plan to.
I did call in and tell them what ideas I thought they should lobby for to put SS on a surplus past 2034.

 

[CRLLS]

I was one of the loophole members when I was in my 40's. They had a sister org that was named something like "young professionals" or something along that line with it's own magazine. It was focused on pre-retirees. My parents "gifted" me a membership. That org shortly died and the membership was automatically transferred to AARP. I let that die. DW joined AARP when she was 50 and I am jointly on that same membership. While I have been disappointed in some of their lobbying, I am by no means a one-issue person. I try to look at the whole picture. They do some good, so there is that. We joined AARP Medigap plan this last year and it has been hands down, the best solution for us.

I just want to point out that there is a difference between UHC Medigap and AARP/UHC Medigap in both plans and pricing, maybe even in benefits offered, at least in my state of Illinois. For those considering this, be aware of what you are looking at.