How AARP is Working for You

Most 2022 elections were decided on Election Day, Nov. 8, and Georgia's high-profile U.S. Senate runoff on Tuesday decided the contest between Democratic Sen. Raphael Warnock and Republican challenger Herschel Walker. The 2022 elections are mostly over, though the forthcoming general election in Louisiana (the November elections were technically primaries) will decide races for public commissioner, court of appeals and district judges and other state offices. In Louisiana, all candidates run against each other in the primary. And if no one secures at least 50 percent of the vote, the top two candidates advance to December’s election.

Polls open in Louisiana on Saturday, Dec. 10, at 7 a.m. and close at 8 p.m. You'll be allowed to cast your ballot as long as you were in line before polls close.

Learn more about how to vote in your state’s next election.

Energy prices are up nearly 18 percent over the past year, according to government data. That’s likely to hit Americans’ pocketbooks hard this winter, as temperatures drop and heating bills rise. So AARP state offices are fighting back against proposed utility hikes and raising awareness of existing energy assistance programs.

Learn more.

We’re proud of the Massachusetts state legislature for passing — and of Gov. Charlie Baker for signing earlier this month — a $3.5 billion economic development package that directs millions of dollars to programs that benefit older adults, like nurse training, food insecurity initiatives and energy assistance for low-income residents.

Learn more.

We urged the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) on Monday to investigate how companies use Americans’ data, including how they build automated computer processes and algorithms that can introduce age, gender and demographic biases in how they use data to target and serve consumers.

Federal law prohibits companies from discriminating — whether that’s through hiring decisions or serving consumers — based on certain characteristics, like age, gender and race or ethnicity. But companies  are increasingly relying on computer programs and algorithms to manage consumer data. And those systems have the potential for bias, even if they weren’t intentionally built that way.

Those living in or visiting the U.S. Virgin Islands have a new place to work out, make friends and spend time outdoors. We held a grand opening last week at our latest Fitlot fitness park in Christiansted St. Croix. AARP volunteers, elected officials and locals listened to music, enjoyed refreshments and received training for how to use all of the different equipment in the park.

Read the full post.

A new AARP survey asked how prepared Americans in different age groups felt for retirement. Just 45 percent of unretired adults ages 50 to 59, 42 percent of adults 60 to 69 and 43 percent of adults 70 to 74 said they felt ready.

“Regardless of age or when retirement planning starts, the process of beginning to plan for retirement often comes with feelings of uncertainty, overwhelm and dread,” according to the report.

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Caregiving responsibilities and the significant medical and financial decisions that come with them aren’t always easy to anticipate. So it’s important to create an action plan with a parent, grandparent or older loved one before a crisis arises, AARP caregiving expert Amy Goyer said Thursday morning during an appearance on NBC’s Today show.

“I was really lucky because my parents did do a lot of planning. They had a lot of things in place,” Goyer said. “You want to have those conversations about what their wishes are.”

Learn more.

An AARP program that arms bank and credit union employees, financial advisors and even retail employees with tools, resources and training to spot and stop fraud and exploitation has to date managed to stop an estimated $200 million from being stolen from older adults.

An estimated 20 percent of older Americans are victims of financial exploitation each year, with the average victim losing $120,000. A BankSafe-trained bank teller in Cape Cod recently spotted red flags and stopped a man from sending a nearly $30,000 wire transfer to a scammer.

Learn more.