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10 AARP benefits all seniors should know
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As we transition into retirement and our senior years, our needs and priorities will typically experience a significant shift — as will the challenges we face, from healthcare concerns to financial planning, social engagement and maintaining independence. That’s why, during this phase of life, it’s crucial to find the right resources and support systems to help navigate these new circumstances.
Recognizing the unique needs of older adults, numerous organizations have emerged to cater specifically to seniors. These groups offer various services, from advocacy and education to discounts and social opportunities. Among these organizations, though, one name stands out: AARP.
AARP is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization dedicated to empowering Americans 50 and older to choose how they live as they age. But while AARP’s name recognition is widespread, many seniors — and even some long-time members — may not be fully aware of the extensive range of benefits and services the organization offers. So, if you’re a senior who’s been wondering what AARP can offer you, it helps to know some key membership benefits.
Find out how an AARP membership could benefit you here.
10 AARP benefits all seniors should know
There are a few different benefits that seniors can access by joining AARP, including:
Insurance options
Having access to affordable insurance options becomes crucial during your senior years. And, that’s one area where AARP shines. AARP offers a variety of insurance options tailored to seniors’ needs, including supplemental health insurance, dental and vision coverage, life insurance, long-term care insurance and auto insurance. These insurance options are geared toward providing coverage for conditions that become more common with age, helping seniors maintain comprehensive protection without excessive financial burden.
Explore the many perks that come with joining AARP during your senior years.
Healthcare savings
Many seniors live on fixed incomes, making healthcare expenses a significant concern. But members of AARP can access significant discounts on prescription drugs, hearing aids and vision care, including glasses and contact lenses. These savings can be imperative for seniors living on fixed incomes, as healthcare expenses can be a major concern. And, by reducing the cost of essential health-related items, AARP helps seniors maintain their health and well-being without costing too much.
Travel benefits
Retirement often means more time for travel, but doing so can be expensive. To help, AARP provides travel-related discounts on hotels, rental cars and cruises, as well as a roadside assistance program and travel planning resources. These perks are particularly valuable for retirees, who typically have more time to travel but may be conscious of the related expenses. For example, these discounts can make it more affordable for seniors to explore new places and visit loved ones or offer peace of mind for those who enjoy road trips.
Financial services
Financial security is often a top concern for seniors. AARP members can ensure that their finances are in check by taking advantage of member perks like free financial health check-ups, identity theft protection services, unique credit card options with cashback rewards and discounts on tax preparation services.
These offerings are beneficial because they help seniors address the financial security concerns many will face during that point in their lives. These services can, for example, help members manage their money more effectively and protect their assets, with identity theft protection being particularly valuable as seniors may be targeted by scammers.
Technology assistance
In an increasingly digital world, staying connected is vital — and that’s equally true for seniors. AARP can help provide that with access to tech support for computers, smartphones and other devices, as well as online learning resources for improving digital skills. This support can be invaluable because it lets seniors navigate new technologies, enabling them to stay in touch with family, access online services and feel more confident in their tech abilities, all of which is crucial for maintaining independence and connectivity.
Entertainment, shopping and dining discounts
AARP members can take advantage of the discounts offered at restaurants and at movie theaters or other entertainment venues. These benefits encourage seniors to stay socially active and engaged, which is crucial for mental health and overall well-being. And, by making outings and cultural experiences more affordable, AARP helps seniors maintain an active and fulfilling lifestyle.
Another benefit that AARP offers is savings at various retailers, both in-store and online, including discounts on groceries and everyday items. These discounts help seniors stretch fixed incomes further, allowing them to maintain their quality of life and afford both necessities and small luxuries. This can make a significant difference in seniors’ day-to-day lives and overall financial comfort.
Legal services
Members of AARP also have access to free or discounted legal advice and assistance with estate planning and will preparation. Legal services can be prohibitively expensive, so these benefits make it easier for seniors to handle important legal matters, ensuring their wishes are properly documented and their rights are protected.
Education and career resources
Many seniors choose to work part-time or start new careers in retirement to earn some extra money. AARP can also help in this area. For example, the organization provides access to job boards specializing in age-friendly employers, online courses and skills training and resume review services. Taking advantage of these resources can, in turn, help seniors stay competitive in the job market and find fulfilling work opportunities, which can be financially and personally rewarding.
Fitness and wellness resources
Staying active is crucial for maintaining health and independence as we age, and it can be easier for AARP members to do that, as membership offers them access to gym membership discounts and wellness programs and resources. These perks make it more affordable for seniors to prioritize their physical and mental well-being, encouraging a healthier and more active lifestyle.
Home and auto services
Seniors can also get discounts through AARP on home security systems, moving services and storage and even auto repair discounts. These services address some common needs of seniors, from ensuring home safety to managing moves and maintaining vehicles, often at reduced costs. These benefits can be particularly helpful for seniors who are looking to age in place or those transitioning to new living arrangements.
The bottom line
An AARP membership can offer big benefits to seniors — including, but not limited to, the ones outlined above. So, if you’re a senior who’s been on the fence about joining, it can be a smart move to make between the discounts, the resources and the other perks an AARP membership offers.
Bela Karolyi, the charismatic if polarizing gymnastics coach who turned young women into champions and the United States into an international power, has died. He was 82.
A spokesperson for USA Gymnastics confirmed to CBS News by email that Karolyi died Friday. No cause of death was given.
Karolyi and wife Martha trained multiple Olympic gold medalists and world champions in the U.S. and Romania, including Nadia Comaneci and Mary Lou Retton.
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“A big impact and influence on my life,” Comaneci, who was just 14 when Karolyi coached her to gold for Romania at the 1976 Montreal Olympics, posted on Instagram.
The Karolyis defected to the United States in 1981 and over the next 30-plus years became a guiding force in American gymnastics, though not without controversy. Bela helped guide Retton — all of 16 — to the Olympic all-around title at the 1984 Games in Los Angeles and memorably helped an injured Kerri Strug off the floor at the 1996 Games in Atlanta after Strug’s vault secured the team gold for the Americans.
Karolyi briefly became the national team coordinator for USA Gymnastics women’s elite program in 1999 and incorporated a semi-centralized system that eventually turned the Americans into the sport’s gold standard. It did not come without a cost. He was pushed out after the 2000 Olympics after several athletes spoke out about his tactics.
It would not be the last time Karolyi was accused of grandstanding and pushing his athletes too far physically and mentally.
During the height of the Larry Nassar scandal in the late 2010s — when the disgraced former USA Gymnastics team doctor was effectively given a life sentence after pleading guilty to sexually assaulting gymnasts and other athletes with his hands under the guise of medical treatment — over a dozen former gymnasts came forward saying the Karolyis were part of a system that created an oppressive culture that allowed Nassar’s behavior to run unchecked for years.
Still, some of Karolyi’s most famous students were always among his staunchest defenders. When Strug got married, she and Karolyi took a photo recreating their famous scene from the 1996 Olympics, when he carried her onto the medals podium after she vaulted on a badly sprained ankle.
Despite losing his boxing match to Jake Paul, Mike Tyson in a social media post Saturday said he had “no regrets” to getting “in ring one last time.”
The boxing legend was defeated by social media star Jake Paul in a highly anticipated fight on Friday night with an age difference of over three decades between the two contenders.
Netflix said Saturday that 60 million households worldwide tuned in to watch the match. The two fighters went eight full rounds, with each round two minutes long. Paul defeated Tyson by unanimous decision and the 27-year-old upset boxer and 58-year-old former heavyweight champion hugged afterward.
Paul was expected to earn about $40 million from the fight, and Tyson was expected to take around $20 million for the fight, according to DraftKings and other online reports.
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Tyson said on his social media that “this is one of those situations when you lost but still won. I’m grateful for last night.”
The fight almost didn’t happen after Tyson experienced an ulcer flare-up while on a plane in March. He addressed his illness Saturday, writing that he “almost died in June.” He said he had eight blood transfusions and “lost half my blood and 25lbs in hospital and had to fight to get healthy to fight so I won.”
Tyson retired from boxing in 2005 after a 20-year career. He last fought in a 2020 exhibition match against former four-division world champ Roy Jones Jr.
“To have my children see me stand toe to toe and finish 8 rounds with a talented fighter half my age in front of a packed Dallas Cowboy stadium is an experience that no man has the right to ask for. Thank you,” he said.
Alex Sundby and
contributed to this report.
In their final meeting, China’s leader Xi Jinping told U.S. President Biden that his nation was “ready to work with a new administration,” as President-elect Donald Trump prepares to take over.
The two leaders gathered Saturday on the sidelines of the annual Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit. Mr. Biden was expected to urge Xi to dissuade North Korea from further deepening its support for Russia’s war on Ukraine. It marked their first in-person meeting since they met in Northern California last November.
Without mentioning Trump’s name, Xi appeared to signal his concern that the incoming president’s protectionist rhetoric on the campaign trail could send the U.S.-China relationship into another valley.
“China is ready to work with a new U.S. administration to maintain communication, expand cooperation and manage differences so as to strive for a steady transition of the China-U.S. relationship for the benefit of the two peoples,” Xi said through an interpreter.
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Mr. Biden, meanwhile, spoke in broader brushstrokes about where the relationship has gone and reflected not just on the past four years, but on their long relationship.
“Over the past four years, China-U.S. relations have experienced ups and downs, but with the two of us at the helm, we have also engaged in fruitful dialogues and cooperation, and generally achieved stability,” he said.
Mr. Biden and Xi, with top aides surrounding them, gathered around a long rectangle of tables in an expansive conference room at Lima’s Defines Hotel and Conference Center.
There’s much uncertainty about what lies ahead in the U.S.-China relationship under Trump, who campaigned promising to levy 60% tariffs on Chinese imports.
Bobby Djavaheri, president of Los Angeles-based Yedi Houseware Appliances — which manufactures its products in China — told CBS News in an interview this week that such tariffs “would decimate our business, but not only our business. It would decimate all small businesses that rely on importing.”
Trump has also proposed revoking China’s Most Favored Nation trade status, phasing out all imports of essential goods from China and banning China from buying U.S. farmland.
Already, many American companies, including Nike and eyewear retailer Warby Parker, have been diversifying their sourcing away from China. Shoe brand Steve Madden says it plans to cut imports from China by as much as 45% next year.
White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan said Biden administration officials will advise the Trump team that managing the intense competition with Beijing will likely be the most significant foreign policy challenge they will face.
It’s a big moment for Mr. Biden as he wraps up more than 50 years in politics. He saw his relationship with Xi as among the most consequential on the international stage and put much effort into cultivating that relationship.
Mr. Biden and Xi first got to know each other on travels across the U.S. and China when both were vice presidents, interactions that both have said left a lasting impression.
“For over a decade, you and I have spent many hours together, both here and in China and in between. And I think we’ve spent a long time dealing with these issues,” Mr. Biden said Saturday.
But the last four years have presented a steady stream of difficult moments.
The FBI this week offered new details of a federal investigation into Chinese government efforts to hack into U.S. telecommunications networks. The initial findings have revealed a “broad and significant” cyberespionage campaign aimed at stealing information from Americans who work in government and politics.
U.S. intelligence officials also have assessed China has surged sales to Russia of machine tools, microelectronics and other technology that Moscow is using to produce missiles, tanks, aircraft and other weaponry for use in its war against Ukraine.
And tensions flared last year after Mr. Biden ordered the shooting down of a Chinese spy balloon that traversed the United States.
