AARP was founded in 1958 by Ethel Percy Andrus and hopes to have 70 million members in the next ten years due to the increasing age of the US population.
AARP used to be the American Association of Retired Persons.
AARP is also known for representing and speaking on behalf of the senior population based in the United States.
AARP is involved in many types of activities such as:
Negotiating reduced rates for prescriptions, housing, tourist attractions, automobile rentals, motels and hotels.
It is very interesting that AARP is fighting the proposed changes to Social Security.
AARP has changed its role over the last few decades so as to reflect current living standards and the way in which
we now approach age with dignity and purpose.
Prescription Drugs:
Over the last 5 years prescription drug costs have increased 10 fold. Much more rapidly than the rate of inflation and
has put a heavy burden on the senior citizen population.
AARP has made available the results of recent studies and changes in manufacturers' prescription drug list prices for
200 brand name and 75 generic drugs most widely used by Americans age 50 and over.
Social Security:
President obama has said that there will not be enough money in the future to pay for Social Security benefits for Seniors at today's level.
His plan would allow workers to invest up to one third of their payroll contributions into the Stock Market.
Based on Stock Market results for the past 4 years this would have resulted a loss for the average Senior taking inflation into account.
The plan would also preserve the present defined-benefit approach for low-wage workers—those currently earning less than about $20,000.
For the other everyone 70 percent of workers, the system would be flipped upside down—so that the more you earn and pay in, the more your benefits are cut.
Consumer alerts:
Americans last year spent more than $20 billion on anti-aging products of which a sizeable portion went for so called "snake oil" products such as "human growth hormone " pills which sold for as much $80 per bottle per month and promised to cure anything that ails you.The U.S. food and drug administration does not
regulate over-the-counter products, so it is buyer beware.
