OT - AARP, is it worth it?

[DaddyChoc]

do the Pro's outweigh the Con's?

How do you personally get the most out of it?

When did you join?

 

[mbr33ct]

I have been a member for few years but frankly, I'm trying to figure out why? All I do is take their monthly magazine from the mail box and into my trash can.

 

[Hedge]

I just joined at 65 to get their Medicare Supplemental Coverage as well as their drug plan. I put it off as long as I could!

 

[Sonny44]

Useless.

 

[Lawrence]

TRY AMAC.

 

[meyers7]

TRY AMAC.

I don't think anyone on this board would qualify.

 

[HopJim]

do the Pro's outweigh the Con's?

How do you personally get the most out of it?

When did you join?

Good program. Many interesting and valuable articles in magazine that save more than enough money to offset a minimal cost. Retirement planning, vacations, cyber security, etc. all examples of diverse set of information that are well worth the time to review. Have had this since I was 50 and always felt it had value.

 

[Husky fanatic]

15% At Denny’s, informative magazine and news bulletin. Many other discounts and events. In NH we get free ice cream once a month. Later in life reasonable health insurance.

 

[Bama fan]

I joined in my late 50s. I use their discounts on auto insurance, home insurance, Medicare Part D , and Medicare Part F. they also offer discounts on travel and dining but I never used that. Recently changed cellphone providers and got a discount there also. It does not cost much annually and covers both my wife and me. The magazine is interesting enough. We pay dues, and every so often they solicit donations but that is optional. I will say that it is worth the money. I have read that some members object to public policy matters that AARP supports, but I personally do not share that concern. Currently asking $12 for the first year and that covers you and your spouse. Give it a try.

 

[CTexpatinFL]

I never joined, all they are is a lobbying group and their insurance is higher than getting it directly from the source. Never joined, and I know lots of seniors who don't have a clue why they joined. Maybe their continuous mailings just wear down your resistance and you join to stop all the mailings? IMHO.

 

[Charliebball]

I thought it was Federal law to join AARP at age 50................

 

[MainefanSC]

Been a member since I turned 50. 70 now and recently priced insurance through Liberty, to potentially switch. Apples to apples, I'd save less than $100 annually, for the first year. My wife is retired from The Hartford, who is the AARP agency, and when we became old enough to joint AARP, their coverage was cheaper than my wife's 20% employee discount. Same insurance, same coverage. I must say, we have everything (Cars, house, boat, etc etc, with umbrella) and it is a chore to compare fairly, but we did it last month because our vehicle insurance is due this month. Will not switch for the paltry amount of savings and go to a company we have no experience with. I also use the AARP supplemental for all Medicare "stuff". I feel it is worth the minimal membership cost.

 

[SVCBeercats]

I don't think anyone on this board would qualify.

Too funny but soooo true!

 

[SVCBeercats]

do the Pro's outweigh the Con's? How do you personally get the most out of it? When did you join?

We joined because we wanted medical plan that allowed us to seek medical help from any doctor in the USA. It is like anything else. You get out of it what you put into it. Also in the case of AARP it comes down to local AARP groups. The one in Pittsburgh had a very active group who negotiated group deals for dining out, bowling, museums, 1 to 3 day bus trips, discounts from local businesses, etc. Mrs. SVC's Aunt Anna used participated in the AARP until her death at 93 including the bowling. As her life long friend died she avoided loneliness by making new friends with whom to interact even if just by phone. Although in Anna's case until the last year of her life she still drove her car not unlike Mario Andretti!
Create a list of what you personally want out of the an AARP. Prioritize your list from most desirable to least desirable. Review what the AARP has online as benefits that suit you and your list of wants. See if there is an AARP group within a reasonable distance. See what they can offer you. How does your AARP research satisfy your list of needs. What you want won't necessarily be the same as everyone else's. Solicit our opinions but never trust them to satisfy your wants.

 

[Bama fan]

Been a member since I turned 50. 70 now and recently priced insurance through Liberty, to potentially switch. Apples to apples, I'd save less than $100 annually, for the first year. My wife is retired from The Hartford, who is the AARP agency, and when we became old enough to joint AARP, their coverage was cheaper than my wife's 20% employee discount. Same insurance, same coverage. I must say, we have everything (Cars, house, boat, etc etc, with umbrella) and it is a chore to compare fairly, but we did it last month because our vehicle insurance is due this month. Will not switch for the paltry amount of savings and go to a company we have no experience with. I also use the AARP supplemental for all Medicare "stuff". I feel it is worth the minimal membership cost.

It is interesting that you priced Liberty and got a lower rate. I was a customer of Prudential, which became Liberty Mutual , for over 30 years. Three years ago we switched to Hartford/AARP and got a very substantial premium decrease. The senior customer satisfaction manager at Liberty personally called me to encourage me to stay. When I quoted her my new rate, she said that Liberty could not match it. She asked me to call her personally at the renewal date to see if she could get us back in the fold. So I called , and very apologetically she said that again, she could not do better. We have just the two of us here, and our vehicles are older and our records are clean. Perhaps the difference is based on where one lives. Our premiums increased slightly at Hartford in the second year, and stayed the same this past year.

 

[bennyskid]

I refuse. If they were honest about their mission - they aren't an advocacy group, they are an insurance company - I'd be happy to purchase their products. But as long as they go to DC and brazenly lobby for policies that favor their own business while claiming to represent people like me, I'm not sending them a dime. Sure, my current insurance company lobbies too, but at least they are honest about who they are representing.

 

[Plebe]

It is interesting that you priced Liberty and got a lower rate. I was a customer of Prudential, which became Liberty Mutual , for over 30 years. Three years ago we switched to Hartford/AARP and got a very substantial premium decrease. The senior customer satisfaction manager at Liberty personally called me to encourage me to stay. When I quoted her my new rate, she said that Liberty could not match it. She asked me to call her personally at the renewal date to see if she could get us back in the fold. So I called , and very apologetically she said that again, she could not do better. We have just the two of us here, and our vehicles are older and our records are clean. Perhaps the difference is based on where one lives. Our premiums increased slightly at Hartford in the second year, and stayed the same this past year.

I am not the type to hold grudges, but I can't bring myself to even consider Liberty Mutual because of the unconscionable way they handled a hit-and-run incident years ago in which their insured party's 18-wheeler crunched my compact car up against a concrete barrier and made my life flash before my eyes.

I realized then that "Liberty Mutual" is shorthand for "we are at liberty to have mutual hatred for each other."

 

[SoFla Steve]

I've been a member for the last 3 years or so. I switched my cell phone plan from a major carrier at $110/mo to Consumer Cellular at a quarter of the cost for essentially the same level of service. They offer a small AARP discount which pays my annual membership so I get it essentially for free. Lots of discounts, too, but I'm new to this retirement thing so I sometimes forget to ask for the discounts. Certainly I haven't taken advantage of everything they offer.

One annoyance: They do send you petitions to sign along with requests for donations.

 

[mbr33ct]

I'll expound a little more regarding myself and AARP. It really comes down to your needs.

For myself I believe I have the best Auto/Renters Insurance in USAA...all mail offers from AARP (and others) about "...you can save over $500 if you switch...", it will never happen. Yes, where one lives is one key component to premium costs. I took a hit when moving from Middlesex County to New Haven County (Middletown to North Haven, CT), at the time I was with MetLife and my rate was going to go up because of it. At that point I looked into USAA.

For health insurance/prescriptions, I use the VA health system, again no reason to look any further, at least up to this point.

As far as cell/mobile phone discounts, I have a basic Tracfone (pay as you go with minutes/text and data). I don't have monthly bills from Tracfone, I purchase minutes, text, data air time when running low.

For the reasons stated above, for me AARP is not a good fit, they want me to renew but I will let it lapse.

 

[JordyG]

AARP is a bigger waste than my expanding one.

 

[diggerfoot]

The only necessary "cost" is the cost of membership. As for the "benefits" it depends on whether you take advantage of what they can save you on insurance, cell phone carrier, eating out and other advantages. If you don't take advantage of any of them then your cost exceeds your benefit, but that is all up to you.

As for the info and policy, they are an interest group representing the interests of the retired. There is nuetral information that can be useful and there are opinions on policy with which you will either agree or disagree. From the perspective of a staunch unaffiliate, both anti-party and anti-ideology, I thought at one time their policy tended to be more conservative, as retired people tend to be more conservative and they are representing those interests. However, in a climate where a sect of conservatives are calling Social Security an entitlement, their policy now appears more liberal, not because they are inherently a liberal or conservative interest group, but because they are a retirement interest group sticking up for those particular interests.

 

[JimGunther]

FWIW: I have their Medicare supplement but am NOT a member.
I don't THINK I've been a member since we became Medicare eligible, so, I'm not certain it is a condition of eligibility for coverage.
We used to like the magazine but am not convinced of the value of membership and I'm at odds with some of their politics.
PS: Very pleased with their United Healthcare supplement program but - thankfully - have used it very sparingly.

 

[tomcat]

I found their insurance overpriced. However, we use their discounts at hotels sometimes and at the occasional restaurant. Ten percent isn't a but adds up over time. I don't like the magazine, but my wife reads it. Their lobbying tends to be on the side I favor, so I'm fine with that., In all, worth it for us, but just barely.

 

[MSGRET]

Being a disabled vet I get 100% of my medical via VA, except for dental which is now thru BENIFEDS. Use USAA for my home, car, and life insurances, and investments. No one has been able to come close to USAA and their service is the best.

 

[Puppy Love]

Will never join...mostly because I find their mailings with the plastic ID cards beyond annoying.