#Middlebury #SeniorNewsLine
It can be a bit of a shock for many of us when we reach the half-century mark and start getting the invitations to join AARP. We wonder what AARP stands for, and are a bit annoyed to learn it stands for American Association of Retired Persons.
Retiring at age 50? We’d love that, but barring a large trust fund, how many of us get to retire at that age? If we do sign up and pay the annual $16 fee, we then get more mailings, many with stacks of discounts.
A show of hands, please. How many of us actually go through the stack of discount offers and immediately start using them at age 50? A poll of people down at the senior center says that age 60 is when we’re more likely to actually flash the AARP card and ask for discounts.
Once actual retirement arrives and budgets are tight, yes, then we want every extra benefit and saved dollar we can get. At the same time, many of those discounts are available just for asking at restaurants and other places we spend money.
Having said all this, is AARP worth joining? The answer is yes. While we often can get discounts on our own, we can’t do all the lobbying in Washington, D.C. to help protect our interests. We can’t access all the political offices it can, keeping our issues front and center. The AARP is, first and foremost, an advocacy group.
If you’ve tossed the latest mailings you’ve received about joining AARP and have changed your mind, here’s the number: 1-888-687-2277. Or if you’re still not sure, check the website aarp.org and see if anything of interest catches your eye.
(c) 2018 King Features Synd., Inc.
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