The Iowa 2008 blog is a companion to AARP Iowa's Voices for the Future. Conversations reported here are the views of attendees and do not necessarily represent the views or policies of AARP. AARP is a nonprofit, nonpartisan membership organization that does not endorse any candidates nor make contributions to political parties or candidates.
Denison, Iowa
On Tuesday, we hosted an afternoon conversation at the Boulders Conference Center in Denison. The group that gathered showed a strong interest in education, quality health care and the importance of saving for the future.
One attendee, who recently graduated from college, expressed how difficult it is to save money while she is paying back loans, paying rent and gas prices are increasing. She also said that many college students and young adults right out of college get sucked into credit card debt because it is their only option for financing their needs. She thought that college students should probably not be targeted by the credit card companies because they end up amassing too much debt over those years that could take years to pay back. Others in the group agreed that credit card companies should be regulated in their soliciting, to help keep people out of debt.
Attendees agreed that more people need to be educated about saving for their future. The group thought that Social Security was an important part of the retirement equation, but savings and pensions are necessary too. One attendee reported that only 20 out of 50 people at her work place were part of the company’s 401K plan. She thought that people needed more education from their employer on the importance of saving.
How do you get a 25 year old to think about being a 65 year old?
