Why join AARP?

[BarbWire]

I have no idea which forum to post this in so ...

Why join AARP?

Their webpage lists slews of benefits (most of which seem aimed at selling members products or services.)

The discount on British Airways flights is nice, and I might use it occasionally (after I blow through 185,000 Avios).

If I choose AARP UnitedHealthcare Plan G for Medicare later this year, I believe I will have to join.

What benefits do you find useful?



[And AARP used to be notorious for sending tons of snail mail -- has that stopped? I really don't care about the $16/year as much as drowning in snail mail.]

 

[RunningBum]

The snail mail is my reason for not joining so far, so I'm interested to hear the responses about that.

 

[MC Rider]

Only $16/year? Cheap.

Have not joined, maybe I should try.


I think Dad said they just want to sell you stuff.

 

[travelover]

10,9,8....counting down to blast of anti AARP political posts.

 

[RetiredAndLovingIt]

I agree that their goal is to sell products and also to deliver votes.
I have no interest in more junk mail, I'm sure they sell our info just like any other business.

 

[RetiredAndLovingIt]

10,9,8....counting down to blast of anti AARP political posts.

Ha Ha, I thought about commenting and decided not to go there.

 

[Luvdogs]

My husband had to join to get one of his Medicare add-ons (supplemental or drugs??). This is according to AON who handles retiree insurance where he was employed. I don't remember the details. It's only about $10 per year I think so we didn't really care.

ETA-I should have read the entire first post--yes it is for United Healthcare. He has plan F which I think is no longer available.

 

[latexman]

Only $16/year? Cheap.

I just renewed for $49/5 years. Super cheap. I like reading their monthly bulletin and monthly magazine. I prefer the bulletin.

Their website has a lot of good information

I’ve avoided buying anything there, so far.

 

[disneysteve]

I just renewed for $49/5 years. Super cheap. I like reading their monthly bulletin and monthly magazine.

Same here. I enjoy the publications. That alone is worth the price to me.


They do get you discounts on some things, though we honestly rarely use them. We probably should.


I've never bought any of their services. My mom does have their Advantage plan.

 

[RobbieB]

I use hotel discounts, AT&T wireless discounts and I like the read too. I'm proud to be a member of the geezer lobby!

 

[W2R]

My late mother gave me a one year AARP membership for my 50th birthday (as a joke), back in 1998. I quit ASAP and never sent them a dime or expressed any interest. I have moved dozens of times since then, but they still send advertising via snail mail and email. I have never found anything advantageous to belonging. Well, I suppose one could use their paper ads to start a fire.

 

[Bamaman]

I joined 20 years ago but never renewed my membership. I cannot tell you all the money saved with that old member number that wasn't current.

My wife joined, and I do like to read the magazine. It's the #1 magazine in the U.S. in circulation. Too bad the font is so small I have to get out a magnifying glass to read it. And I also have to ignore the politics.

 

[BarbWire]

a question for current members: other than the magazine and the bulletin, how much snail mail and advertising do you get on a monthly basis?

[I am a nomad so I have to pay to have my mail forwarded to wherever I am. I am keen to eliminate all snailmail].

 

[N02L84ER]

My FIL died more than 6 years ago and they still mail the magazine to the house. His wife died in June of 2020 and we sold the house last month so we will no longer know how long they will keep sending him stuff.

 

[jazz4cash]

I pay about 12/yr. The biggest benefit to me is auto insurance from The Hartford. Also some discounts at chain restaurants. I don’t get any junk mail or random email from them.

 

[Sunset]

It cost us $10/yr most of the time, I think once I re-signed up for $12.

Have used various discounts and like the magazine articles. They email stuff and some I read.

Last magazine I saw they did interview Micheal J. Fox AGAIN, and commented to my DW that they should pay him as he is almost staff. In the article they mentioned they've interviewed him 4 times

 

[RetireRay]

Haven’t joined since our AAA membership seems to get us the same hotel discounts.

 

[audreyh1]

a question for current members: other than the magazine and the bulletin, how much snail mail and advertising do you get on a monthly basis?

[I am a nomad so I have to pay to have my mail forwarded to wherever I am. I am keen to eliminate all snailmail].

None. I guess DH clicked the right buttons when he signed up online for the family membership. DH joined for the United Healthcare AARP Medigap coverage.

 

[Marita40]

I do not agree with their politics so will not join.

 

[target2019]

I have no idea which forum to post this in so ...

Why join AARP?

Their webpage lists slews of benefits (most of which seem aimed at selling members products or services.)

The discount on British Airways flights is nice, and I might use it occasionally (after I blow through 185,000 Avios).

If I choose AARP UnitedHealthcare Plan G for Medicare later this year, I believe I will have to join.

What benefits do you find useful?

[And AARP used to be notorious for sending tons of snail mail -- has that stopped? I really don't care about the $16/year as much as drowning in snail mail.]

AARP is a 501(c)(4) non-profit organization. Posts mentioning AARP always trigger political comments. It is no secret that they send offers for various products seniors are probably buying. Whatever. Their level of intrusion into my life does not apporach the data-gathering of most companies, organizations, etc.

AARP (formerly called the American Association of Retired Persons) is a United States–based interest group focusing on issues affecting those over the age of fifty. According to the organization, it had more than 38 million members as of 2018. The magazine and bulletin it sends to its members are the two largest-circulation publications in the United States.

AARP was founded in 1958 by Ethel Percy Andrus (a retired educator from California) and Leonard Davis (later the founder of the Colonial Penn Group of insurance companies). It is an influential lobbying group in the United States. AARP sells paid memberships, and markets insurance and other services to its members.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AARP

My mother subscribed, so I've seen the magazine and papers they send out over a long period, since 1980 or so. I send $50 or so to continue the subscription for a few years. We enjoy reading about proposed bills in our state and how it may affect us. You'll see a presentation of the views of presidential political candidates. They have a forum. There's always a glossy cover with another personality who is 75 and looks 60. ANd they have in-depth look at certain subjects, like Medicare and all the other essential services for seniors.

For a few years we went to Financial Advisor dinners and reported our findings to AARP for their database.

As with any offer, you personally may get a significant financial benefit from reading or using an offer they approve of. But maybe you won't.

 

[MichaelB]

a question for current members: other than the magazine and the bulletin, how much snail mail and advertising do you get on a monthly basis?

[I am a nomad so I have to pay to have my mail forwarded to wherever I am. I am keen to eliminate all snailmail].

In order to get the UHC MediGap G plan I joined AARP. We get a few mailings and a magazine. They are not in the top 10 of unsolicited mailers.

 

[Pellice]

I just renewed for $49/5 years. Super cheap. I like reading their monthly bulletin and monthly magazine. I prefer the bulletin.

Their website has a lot of good information

I’ve avoided buying anything there, so far.

I was just reading the bulletin this morning. Excellent source of information and resources. Worth the inexpensive price, and even the generated junk mail (promptly thrown out). Their card pretty much duplicates restaurant and lodging discounts of the AAA card, so if you have another auto service, you can ditch AAA.

 

[braumeister]

Joining AARP got me an online savings account at Discover that pays slightly higher than their published rate. That alone makes it worth it to me.

 

[Steve s]

We have Consumer Cellular and get AARP discount. Use it when pricing hotels but not different then Senior discount.

 

[Time2]

I joined just to get the insurance when I went on Medicare, but I didn't renew as membership is not required after the first year.

On a funny note, my daughter at the the age of 5, received an application for AARP. I grabbed a crayon and wrote on it, "My daddy says all you want to do is take money from young people and give it to old people"