A different reason not to join AARP...

[ArmchairMillionaire23]

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.

 

[Car-Guy]

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.

I've run across a number of sites that use this form of additional authentication... Most of them allow the user to chose between a text message, voice call or email... I'm surprised AARP doesn't allow all options considering their audience. (Older folks )

 

[Dtail]

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

 

[Aerides]

I have a phone number through google, so texts can go to hangouts right on my desktop, as well as phone/text. Anyone can get one, even with no cell phone.

 

[ArmchairMillionaire23]

I have a phone number through google, so texts can go to hangouts right on my desktop, as well as phone/text. Anyone can get one, even with no cell phone.

Good information to know. Thank you.

 

[pb4uski]

^^^ sounds like that is the way to sidestep not having a cellphone, though I'm surprised that AARP doesn't support 2FA via email as most vendors that I deal with do.

OP, IME you wouldn't be missing much if you don't join. We were members for years but dropped out... in part because I disagreed with their politics but also the discounts they offered were also offered by AAA so there was no particular benefit there. The magazine was ok, but that's about it.

 

[Gotadimple]

In general cell phones are not the most secure for receiving this type of message. When that is my only choice, I decline to use the service. Medicare tried this at one point and the push back caused them to change direction.

For the most part if you are thinking of using AARP discounts you can ask for those from the business that offers them without showing a membership card.

You can also sign up for membership and not enroll on their website.

 

[audreyh1]

We didn’t join AARP until DH was 65 and we decided to use the United Healthcare AARP Medigap option. We made it a family membership. So far we haven’t received the flood of junk mail I was dreading - knock on wood! DH turned off everything he could find in mail preferences.

We also have AAA which seems to offer better discounts than AARP or a general senior discount at hotels.

 

[jazz4cash]

In general cell phones are not the most secure for receiving this type of message. When that is my only choice, I decline to use the service. Medicare tried this at one point and the push back caused them to change direction.

For the most part if you are thinking of using AARP discounts you can ask for those from the business that offers them without showing a membership card.

You can also sign up for membership and not enroll on their website.

+1

I do have a cellphone and use it extensively. I use pictures on my phone of my AARP and most other membership cards for discounts and purchases so I don’t need to carry the cards. I can’t recall if AARP has a phone number for me but I’m sure I do not have username/password for online access. I have no need for that. They don’t call or email so it’s pretty limited contact which is what I want.

 

[target2019]

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.

If you're not willing to accept the site security, then no discount for cell phone plan. Security makes sense to me.

 

[Bamaman]

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

After 36 years of being on the phone all day at work, I choose to not talk on the telephone unless absolutely necessary.

I do have a cellphone, but just carry it in case of emergency. I don't even know the phone #, and I don't text. They're just not important to me.

 

[Midpack]

Two factor authentication is a welcome addition for any sensitive online account IMO (e.g. not needed for ER.org). I'm not an AARP member, but most sites will allow the code to be sent in more than one way via text, phone and/or email.

 

[tenant13]

I was a member for two years and the amount of unsolicited junk mail from life insurers and sellers of medical devices and what not was staggering. I spent weeks trying to get off all the mailing lists and in some cases the process involved sending out physical mail... Never again. You're selling your information for $3 discounts that you very likely don't even need.

 

[target2019]

Been a member of AARP for about 15 years. Can't say we see much advertising from AARP or affiliates. What little advertising we get in the USPS mail is keeping the local carriers busy. Most days we have 1-3 pieces of mail. I think they keep a piece or two for Saturday delivery.

 

[gerntz]

I do have a cellphone, but just carry it in case of emergency. I don't even know the phone #, and I don't text.

So how does anyone get hold of you in case of emergency?

 

[gerntz]

I'd forgotten about them. Never joined. They ultimately gave up on us.

 

[JRon]

We dropped our AARP membership as one other poster pointed out the discounts we use were also offered by AAA and we like the travel benefits of AAA. I think 2-factor authentication is important for financial accounts, but for AARP? That's another PITA not worth having AARP for.

 

[mountainsoft]

Two factor authentication is a welcome addition for any sensitive online account IMO (e.g. not needed for ER.org). I'm not an AARP member, but most sites will allow the code to be sent in more than one way via text, phone and/or email.

I know two factor authentication is supposed to be more secure than passwords only, but it is a major hassle when logging in. I enter my user name and password, then have to leave the computer I'm working on, go grab my phone, unlock it, sit there and wait for the text message to arrive, open the text message, type in the code, then delete the text message. Unlock most people these days, I do not carry my cell phone with me at all times.

Some sites will send the authentication code by email. It's still a hassle, but I greatly prefer that over the text message option. Unfortunately, text messaging seems to be the only option for most sites.

 

[skipro33]

We live too far out in the country to have cell phone coverage. I guess I'll have to bypass AARP offers.

 

[Aerides]

We live too far out in the country to have cell phone coverage. I guess I'll have to bypass AARP offers.

If you wanted to, you can see post #4

 

[Midpack]

I know two factor authentication is [-]supposed to be[/-] more secure than passwords only, but it is a major hassle when logging in. I enter my user name and password, then have to leave the computer I'm working on, go grab my phone, unlock it, sit there and wait for the text message to arrive, open the text message, type in the code, then delete the text message. Unlock most people these days, I do not carry my cell phone with me at all times.

Some sites will send the authentication code by email. It's still a hassle, but I greatly prefer that over the text message option. Unfortunately, text messaging seems to be the only option for most sites.

Nothing is perfect, but 2FA IS more secure period. Having to get info off your phone is a small price to pay for added security IMO. The “hassle” is the point, makes it harder for hackers...

 

[skipro33]

If you wanted to, you can see post #4

Turned out I don't need a phone number. When creating the login, it said IN THE FUTURE they would need one, but then scrolling down, I could just opt to not at this time and continue to the AARP site with my login membership.
I'm sure when it does become mandatory, then options for voice phone or email will be available as well as the sole text option today.

 

[W2R]

Here's another reason not to join AARP.

In 1998, for my 50th birthday, my late mother gave me a year's membership in AARP as a prank gift. I never renewed it even once.

Now, twenty-two years later, I *STILL* get a deluge of e-mails and snail mails from AARP, trying to get me to re-join. You'd think that at some point they'd give up and stop wasting trees, but no. I am 72 years old now, and I fully expect this continual avalanche of spam to continue for the rest of my life.

 

[gauss]

This issues rings home with me -- no pun intended.


My solution is to maintain a google voice number for this purpose as Aerides has mentioned.

The problem that I run into is that not all services will accept it for 2FA.
This caused me probably a 6-12 month delay with my IRS account when they beefed up their security. Eventually they came up with a system to validate you via US Mail and then subsequently you could use google voice 2FA.

Another example, I believe, is the Venmo cash transfer app.

The trouble with using a real cell phone for SMS/2FA is that I change numbers frequently. I don't want to risk getting locked out of a service due to no longer maintaining a number.

I would be much happier if all mandatory 2FA-enabled service providers accepted TOTP such as Google Authenticator.

The problem is that the banking regulators gave SMS for 2FA as a safe harbor of sorts to the banking industry, so that is all they will implement. I suspect that many follow their lead so that they can have "bank-level" security. (hah hah).

-gauss

 

[target2019]

Turned out I don't need a phone number. When creating the login, it said IN THE FUTURE they would need one, but then scrolling down, I could just opt to not at this time and continue to the AARP site with my login membership.
I'm sure when it does become mandatory, then options for voice phone or email will be available as well as the sole text option today.

I'm glad you found it and will soon be a card-carrying member.