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What is AARP? – CBS News
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As you near retirement, frugality may become more important. After all, many retirees live on fixed incomes. And, living on a fixed income can be difficult in today’s inflationary environment. According to the National Council on Aging, about 40% of retirees rely completely on their Social Security benefits. But, according to Bankrate, the average monthly social security check is just $1,778.24.
The AARP, previously known as the American Association for Retired Persons, may be able to help. An AARP membership comes with discounts on a wide range of products and services, which could help you cope with rising prices. And those discounts aren’t the only way an AARP membership may be able to help you become more financially stable. Learn more about what AARP is and the benefits it provides below.
Sign up for your AARP membership now.
What is AARP?
AARP was formed in 1958 as a non-profit organization, which it still is today. The organization is centered around improving the lives of the those over age 50 community by helping these older Americans achieve financial and healthcare security and personal fulfillment. That noted, you can become a member as early as 18 years old. Here’s a breakdown of what AARP does, how much it costs and why you should consider joining:
What does AARP do?
AARP is a consumer advocacy organization that focuses on the aforementioned community in the United States. The organization often lobbies on behalf of older Americans to bring about changes that can improve access to financial and healthcare services on a state and national level. The organization has also partnered with a wide range of brands, offering members discounts on products and services like hotels, restaurants and more.
But, AARP isn’t a staandalone organization. It’s more of a parent organization that employs the help of three subsidiaries. Those include:
- The AARP Foundation: This is a non-profit organization that works to make sure that elderly consumers with low incomes have access to necessities like affordable housing and food.
- The Legal Counsel for the Elderly: This non-profit organization is centered around lobbying. It advocates for the rights of members over the age 50.
- AARP Services: AARP Services is the organization’s quality control arm that takes care of oversight of any product or service that’s offered by independent providers through the AARP network.
Get access to everything AARP has to offer today.
How much does AARP cost?
An AARP membership costs $16 per year. But, you can also take advantage of discounts by signing up for autopay or opting for a longer membership period:
- Sign up for autopay: If you sign up for autopay, you’ll only pay $12 for your first year.
- Opt for a 3-year membership: You can save $5 by paying $43 up front for a 3-year membership.
- Opt for a 5-year membership: You can save $17 by paying $63 up front for a 5-year membership.
Why should you join AARP?
At first glance, you may think of AARP as a way to get discounts at a large number of major brands. And, it does offer discounts on travel, restaurants, groceries, insurance and more. But, those aren’t the only reasons to consider signing up.
If you’re looking for a job, AARP may be able to help. The organization offers a job search tool that helps you find jobs that fit your needs and skillset. It also offers a free resume review through a third party. And, you can enjoy discounted resume writing services if you don’t already have one or if yours needs improvement.
AARP also provides discounts on insurance products, like long-term care insurance, car insurance and even health insurance. Members also have access to a social security resource center and a wide range of retirement planning tools alongside financial products like high-yield savings accounts and certificates of deposit (CDs) through financial institutions that AARP partners with.
The bottom line
AARP is a longstanding organization with a strong history of advocating for the rights and fair treatment of those over 50. AARP memberships are relatively inexpensive at just $16 per year if you don’t take advantage of any discount opportunities, the benefits of membership stretch far beyond discounts from leading brands. Whether you need to find meaningful employment, a quality insurance product or you need access to retirement planning tools, AARP can help. Sign up for your membership now.
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Sen. Thom Tillis says “the scope” of Helene damage in North Carolina “is more like Katrina”
As recovery missions and repairs continue in North Carolina more than a week after Hurricane Helene carved a path of devastation through the western part of the state, the state’s Republican Sen. Thom Tillis called for more resources to bolster the relief effort and likened the damage to Hurricane Katrina’s mark on Louisiana in 2005.
“This is unlike anything that we’ve seen in this state,” Tillis told CBS News’ Margaret Brennan on “Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan” on Sunday morning. “We need increased attention. We need to continue to increase the surge of federal resources.”
Hurricane Helene ripped through the Southeast U.S. after making landfall in Florida on Sept. 26 as a powerful Category 4 storm. Helene brought heavy rain and catastrophic flooding to communities across multiple states, including Georgia, South Carolina, Tennessee and Virginia, with North Carolina bearing the brunt of the destruction. Officials previously said hundreds of roads in western North Carolina were washed out and inaccessible after the storm, hampering rescue operations, and several highways were blocked by mudslides.
Tillis said Sunday that most roads in the region likely remained closed due to flooding and debris. Water, electricity and other essential services still have not been fully restored.
“The scope of this storm is more like Katrina,” he said. “It may look like a flood to the outside observer, but again, this is a landmass roughly the size of the state of Massachusetts, with damage distributed throughout. We have to get maximum resources on the ground immediately to finish rescue operations.”
Hurricane Katrina left more than 1,000 people dead after it slammed into Louisiana’s Gulf Coast in August 2005, flooding neighborhoods and destroying infrastructure in and around New Orleans as well as in parts of the surrounding region. It was the deadliest hurricane to hit the mainland U.S. in the last 50 years, and the costliest storm on record.
The death toll from Hurricane Helene is at least 229, CBS News has confirmed, with at least 116 of those deaths reported in North Carolina alone. Officials have said they expect the death toll to continue to rise as recovery efforts were ongoing, and a spokesperson for the police department in Asheville told CBS News Friday their officers were “actively working 75 cases of missing persons.”
On Saturday, the U.S. Department of Transportation released $100 million in emergency funds for North Carolina to rebuild the roads and bridges damaged by the hurricane.
“We are providing this initial round of funding so there’s no delay getting roads repaired and reopened, and re-establishing critical routes,” U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said in a statement. “The Biden-Harris administration will be with North Carolina every step of the way, and today’s emergency funding to help get transportation networks back up and running safely will be followed by additional federal resources.”
President Biden previously announced that the federal government would cover “100%” of costs for debris removal and emergency protective measures in North Carolina for six months.
With North Carolina leaders working with a number of relief agencies to deal with the aftermath of the storm, Tillis urged federal officials to ramp up the resources being funneled into the state’s hardest-hit areas. The senator also addressed a surge in conspiracy theories and misinformation about the Biden Administration’s disaster response, which have been fueled by Republican political figures like former President Donald Trump.
Trump falsely claimed that Mr. Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris, his Democratic opponent in the November presidential election, were diverting funds from Federal Emergency Management Agency that would support the relief effort in North Carolina toward initiatives for immigrants. He also said baselessly that the administration and North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper, a Democrat, were withholding funds because many communities that were hit hardest are predominantly Republican. Elon Musk has shared false claims about FEMA, too.
“Many of these observations are not even from people on the ground,” Tillis said of those claims. “I believe that we have to stay focused on rescue operations, recovery operations, clearing operations, and we don’t need any of these distractions on the ground. It’s at the expense of the hard-working first responders and people that are just trying to recover their lives.”
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