60,000 resign from AARP
I’ve hated AARP as long as I can remember because they’ve so blatantly opposed to everything that has stood in their way to soak seniors out of their savings. They’ve sold crappy insurance and crappy annuities under the guise of a special club for seniors. They were nothing more than an insurance brokerage.
Despite their attempts to refute the president’s announcement that AARP supported his health care proposals last week, Americans knew from their past behavior, it wasn’t outside the realm of possibility. Now they’re voting with their feet, according to CBS News;
CBS News has learned that up to 60,000 people have cancelled their AARP memberships since July 1, angered over the group’s position on health care.
Elaine Guardiani has been with AARP for 14 years, and said, “I’m extremely disappointed in AARP.”
Retired nurse Dale Anderson has 12 years with AARP and said, “I don’t wanna be connected with AARP.”
Many are switching to the American Seniors Association, a group that calls itself the conservative alternative as CBS News Investigative Correspondent Sharyl Attkisson reports.
It was inevitable. By spending a little bit of time doing the research, you can buy better insurance and annuities than AARP offers and probably save yourself some money in the bargain. They’ve tried to instill fear in their members when the Bush Social Security plan might have saved it for a few more years. They used fear to prevent younger Americans from being able to invest part of their Social Security contributions and have a shot at having real returns and a real income in their retirements.
I hope AARP dies a quick yet painful death.
Category: Barack Obama/Joe Biden, Economy, Health Care debate
When I went to work for a large railway and highway contractor in 2004, I got an AARP membership. Or more correctly, the missus got it for me. It was about the time the AARP lowered the minimum age to 50, which I turned in September of that year. I got discounts at motels and restaurants with it. It was a road job, working the ballast trains and even with good per diem, every little bit helped. It was the only reason we got it.
The membership card will be making it’s way to the AARP head offices in DC very soon, in many pieces and with a little note enclosed. And may be a note filled with expletives. I am retired from the Armed Forces, I can say anything and take any attitude I so choose. I figure a stretch with jimmy carter as CinC kind of covers that.
I was never an AARP member. Sometime in the past, I’d heard that AARP supported gun control legislation (or at least DIDN’T support gun freedoms). I wrote to them several times about this, asking for confonmation or denial. But since I wasn’t a member, I guess they didn’t feel the need to reply. So, I guess I didn’t feel the need to join.
USAA certainly offers more competitive annuities, banking etc. I’ve been using USAA for over 30 years (they are much more than auto and homeowners insurance) and telling AARP to piss off.
My MIL quit the AARP and I am sending her to this ASA. More and more I am seeing Gram and Gramps get up and ready for the fight. This was the first step.
Here is my view on the subject:
http://www.elderguru.com/aarp-versus-american-seniors-association-asa-and-the-health-care-debate/
How this ultimately plays out will be interesting to watch. The ASA needs to strike while the iron is hot.