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kevxu, you must have missed my reply on page 3 of this post, where I said "I will take a closer look at the supplemental health plan benefits, because I did not really know much about them nor did I pay much attention to them, since a few posters here made me more aware of them . . . who knows, my taking advantage of the supplemental health plan benefits could truly make my membership worthwhile." Again, that was the main reason for my post . . . to see if I might be missing something by having my membership.
Two things I will add, their auto insurance was much higher than what I am paying for elsewhere, but I may look into getting their Term Life Insurance . . . as that does not seem too bad for my age (55), to get $10,000 worth of insurance for only $18 per month (for the first 5 years of having it, before it goes up).
I have a question to "current" AND "former" AARP members. "Should I renew my AARP membership?"
When I turned 50, I signed-up for a 5 year membership with AARP. Yet overall, most of the businesses that I could save money by shopping at them, are not business that I normally shop. Whenever I travel, most of the time, I can save more money by using non-AARP travel options. I do admit that I have probably have saved about $60 total by taking advantage of the purchases I have made using my AARP membership, during the past 4 1/2 years.
I think the regular AARP email newsletters, AARP newspapers, and AARP magazines are okay . . . but the information that is contained in these readings thus far has not been very beneficial, not very helpful, and not very informative enough to me. Yet overall reading the content that they have sent to me, often seems like a waste of my time to read . . . as I find most of the interesting sounding articles I read all the way through, end up not very useful and informative at all, and often seem a complete waste of my time after reading them.
Am I missing something? So I just wanted to find out before my membership comes up for renewal in a few months, if there are some things I am missing that would make it worth renewing my AARP membership.
After almost 5 years of reading so much of their content, I feel like I could have much better spent that time elsewhere.
AARP has my support because they have vociferously supported expanding medicaid in my state. Thank heavens they do because our legislature is currently trying to outright ignore an initiative passed by the people in which we voted to raise taxes to pay for a full expansion of medicaid. Some may disagree with that, but I largely support AARP's political agenda including their support for the ACA. As long as they do these things, I'm happy to pay the modest membership dues.
I also volunteer and teach a safe driving class monthly for AARP. The contacts this allowed me to have with the senior population in my area contribute to me in many ways.
AARP is legally classified as a non-profit organization. A 501(c)3. Their income is derived from commissions, licensing fees and membership fees (very minor amounts). The income supports AARP's real mission: To be a political action committee (a PAC). They are an organization set up to hire lobbyists to influence and pressure politicians. They pool their income to support and defeat candidates running for political office.
How much money did they pay these lobbying firms? In 2018, about
6 million, over 9 million in 20-7 - making AARP 34th out of about 4,000 organizations that spend money on lobbyists.
I refuse to buy anything from AARP or become a member. If I want to help a candidate get elected, I'll donate to him/her directly.
I don't like their politics. I used to be a member, I didn't renew after I found out what they were about, politically. They still keep sending me crap, attempting to get me to renew...it's OK, the more money they spend chasing me, the less they have for other things that I don't agree with.
Two things I will add, their auto insurance was much higher than what I am paying for elsewhere, but I may look into getting their Term Life Insurance . . . as that does not seem too bad for my age (55), to get $10,000 worth of insurance for only $18 per month (for the first 5 years of having it, before it goes up).
Unless you are in a position where there is a high risk that you will be killed, term life is a bad deal. Look into whole life, or 'return of premium'.
Having worked in the hotel industry i can tell you the prices are set higher for AAA and AARP so the discount onky beings you to regular price.
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this is so messed up, lol. So you're saying that when you reserve via the web page form, and you enter in your AAA number, they know to increase the hotel price, but then bring it back it back to normal...
So maybe it's a good idea to leave out that AAA information, when you reserve via Internet.. and then when you arrive in person, say: "oh yeah, I have AAA".. and then the discount is applied correctly to the normal room rate ?
this is so messed up, lol. So you're saying that when you reserve via the web page form, and you enter in your AAA number, they know to increase the hotel price, but then bring it back it back to normal...
So maybe it's a good idea to leave out that AAA information, when you reserve via Internet.. and then when you arrive in person, say: "oh yeah, I have AAA".. and then the discount is applied correctly to the normal room rate ?
That has not been my experience at all. There are times when discounts are NOT available, usually during special events.
I don't like their politics. I used to be a member, I didn't renew after I found out what they were about, politically. They still keep sending me crap, attempting to get me to renew...it's OK, the more money they spend chasing me, the less they have for other things that I don't agree with.
I've never been a member, and they've sent me mail for years. I'm pretty sure a tree died because they've sent me so much mail.
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Again, that was the main reason for my post . . . to see if I might be missing something by having my membership.
Solly says — Be nice!
