Posted on 06/09/2015 8:25:31 AM PDT by ken5050
5 years ago, when I turned 62, I finally succumbed to the incessant mailings from AARP, and joined. ( I know, I know, but it was BEFORE Obamacare) I took the 5 year membership..it's heavily discounted. It recently expired, and I'm not going to renew. We all know what's wrong with AARP, and I don't want to belabor that again. There are several seniors associations that market or present themselves as "conservative" oriented. I've been doing some reading/research, but I thought I'd ask others here which one they joined, and why, and if they've been happy with the membership experience, and the benefits offered.
I gather that most offer similar discount on various products and memberships. I'm curious if any of them offers a benefit that really stands out.
BTW..you might be interested in knowing that I started getting LOTS of mail from AARP 6 months before my membership expired. It's literally averaged one piece of mail a day. They especially enjoy mailing me "new membership cards. I have a good sized carton (about 18" x 12" x 12"0 in the front closet, and I toss all their junk mail into it. It's now overflowing..so I'm happily costing them a bundle. It pretty much makes you realize that they are actually a for-profit insurance agency, and they should lose their tax-exempt status..(supposedly Lois Lerner was working on that before she got busy with a different project. (g)
Anyway, thanks in advance for any and all info/advice.
What I learned about discounts is that you may be able to do better without having to join an organization. I belonged to AARP for the travel discounts, but in most cases I could get the same or better discounts just by being a “senior.” My Dad had auto insurance with AARP. One day, he decided to get quotes from an independent insurance agent in the neighborhood. The agent found him a better policy with another company. No AARP membership required.
FONT should be DON'T
I joined AMAC because it wasn’t AARP and has a different agenda. I despise the use of group-think, numbers and mob-like behavior to bully anyone but AARP and unions have that reputation. They are un-American and I would never join any of them. AMAC expressed a philosophy much closer to my own and I never considered “benefits” as a deciding factor.
Hey Ken....
I’m very happy with AMAC.
Here’s my advice. Start opening up their mail, stuff it full of other junk mail and put it in the mail back to them. They pay postage. Now THAT would cost them a bundle!! (laughing delightedly)
hey fat, take their prepaid return envelopes and stuff them full of the crap they’ve sent you and return them, you will cost them a little more...
sorry, I meant Ken, not fat
Arch, the last mailing I received had an envelope that required postage. I’ve been told that eventually, AARP will go back to postage paid envelopes.
I have not and do not plan to join any “conservative seniors organization” because I do not believe that seniors should have a political agenda any different from that of younger Americans.
“Conservative Seniors” is an oxymoron. Most of them are 1960’s refugees by now.
I’m not a joiner.
AMAC - It’s NOT AARP.
I joined AARP for 1 year for insurance purposes about 15 years ago.
I did not like their pushing legislative agendas, so I dropped them.
I have not joined any other group. I really see no benefit in doing so. Their ‘benefits’ are mostly insurances and travel, neither of which I am in the market for.
Advice: don’t get old
Mine too. But I'm getting uncomfortable. It's become, like AARP, a giant money making machine selling insurance and lots of other things through their sponsors. Their bullion/coin company advertiser is real aggressive about sales after an initial bargain purchase. Their gear is not made in the USA, even though it's been brought up by members. I constantly get emails where they're trying to sell me insurance or Medicare supplements, etc. I'm not entirely sure that their conservatism isn't a ploy.
JMHO
Many years ago I decided I would have nothing to do with AARP no matter what benefits they offered. I simply disagreed with their left-wing agenda. I joined AMAC, more for its stated policy views than its benefits. I have no idea how it compares to whatever other services are out there. I viewed it as a political contribution, and any useful benefits are a nice bonus.
The AARP has become little more than a political action committee that offers the member group discounts, in exchange for adding names to the list of constituents that AARP lobbyists claim to be representing. Given what they pulled on their membership over Obamacare, they can keep their discounts.
In 2004 AARP lying scum killed Bush’s attempt to allow me freedom from the social security albatross around my neck. Skru em and the power hungry dirty rat party they run with.
They have joined the dark side.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.