Budget & Savings

Taxes on sales of property  

We moved to consumer cellular in 2022. The service has degraded to the point of being unusable as of July 2026. Tech support is poor. The coverage in So. California is poor at best. Tech support makes excuses to the ATT partner services (towers) they rely on. Customer service support is a joke. We had a supervisor actually hang up during a call when we asked for his supervisor. They read from scripts, and have little knowledge when it comes to coverage issues. BEWARE OF CONSUMER CELLULAR!!!!

AARP is advertising a supposed great deal where they will give you one year of membership for $15 if you sign up for automatic renewal at whatever the price will be next year. WHAT A RIP OFF!!!! And from an organization that is supposed to protect its membership from RIP OFFS. I renewed recently and by calling to negotiate my membership fees, I got renewed at $9 a year for 5 years WITHOUT having to agree to automatic renewal, a 40% savings over their supposed great deal they are presently running. I negotiate all subscriptions. I get Time magazine for a three year period at $10 a year saving hundreds over what the offers are. I have gotten XM Radio for hundreds less than their membership offers. My landline phone (yes, I am old fashioned) was just re-negotiated at 30-40% off advertised rates.  But there is one difference between AARP and the other examples. The other examples are for profit entities and do not have as a policy protection of their constituency.&

trying to help a friend and her elderly mother (100 y/o) with a financial issue.  the mother maintains an AT+T land line...attempts to move her to a smartphone have been unsuccessful.  the daughter knows she can manage the landline if an emergency should arise.they maintain the landline AND ITS $75 MONTHLY CHARGE for an emergency which may or may not arise.I reached out to AT+T to see if assistance was available.  AT+T did appear on the findhelp.org with a Lifeline assistance program.  However, 2 calls ended with the same result:  they do not provide assistance.I know - the mother should just drop the landline and save the money.  BUT the same can be said of AT+T.  they should just drop the service and stop taking the money.  its $75 a month and year to date they have made 0 calls on the line.  AT+T is providing nothing and taking retail fees.does anyone know of a credible means for this senior who is low-income save on a landline bill???fin

I switched to Consumer Cellular via AARP. While vacationing in Mexico, I could not make calls, take calls, send texts or receive texts. I could not log into their web site to get help. Needless to say, Consumer Cellular was a total let down for this Senior citizen. THEN, as soon as I got back to the States, I went and switched back to the cell service I had before. I paid the balance for the usage and owed NOTHING MORE. I switched at the start of a new billing cycle and Consumer Cellular wants me to pay for the whole month. The only reason I used them at the start of the new billing cycle was to get the exit codes to this HORRIBLE service. I will NOT pay for services NOT RENDERED. SENIORS BEWARE of CONSUMER CELLULAR.

Will the AARP Federal Tax Calculator for estimating taxes be updated to reflect the new tax laws that were just passed? If so, when will that happen?

For reasons I don't know, two attempts to make a purchase were "denied".Subsequently, I received an eMail from each issuer asking whether it was I trying to make a purchase. Yes. There was no fraud but I appreciate the protection despite the considerable inconvenience.

Just introduced: "H.R. 9064: To amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to temporarily increase the capital gains exclusion for any qualifying senior who sells a principal residence during a qualifying year, and for other purposes." I'm a 33 year Pasadena homeowner and am now retired and looking to move to a life care community but am facing a huge amount of capital gains that will make it difficult for me to afford. I understand that the $250,000 exclusion for a single person covered a good amount of the tax bite in the past, but now it's woefully inadequate to fund retirement. I think it's totally reasonable to grant a higher exclusion. I hope we can help it to pass, and perhaps even make it permanent.

I’m thinking on reducing my hours by changing jobs for less stress. Can I do partial retirement without losing social security benefits?  

I just opened a Barclays Savings account after an offer from AARP. I can't believe that AARP would be affiliated with a company like this. First it took almost 20 days to open a new account and in the interim, customer service was no help as to whether my application was in process. Then after it was active I sent on online question about how to set up alerts and 2-step authentication. The answer was to call customer service.I called CS and there was so much background noise and a person with a difficult accent. I gave her my name (definitely a woman's name) and she kept calling me MR. It turns out that Barclays DOES NOT HAVE 2-step authentication. I was very surprised. And you cannot set any alerts. I don't know that I trust adding any more money to this account. AARP - you need to reevaluate recommending this bank.

A YEAR OF GROCERIESIN SAN FRANCISCOMay 1, 2025-April 30, 2026Conclusion: A 17.89% increase = $486 

I always pay my Hartford homeowner & auto bills annually with a credit card in order to earn reward points. This year there was a notice that they're using a third-party vendor to process CC payments, and when you select credit card as payment, it states there "may" be a 2.95% charge. Obviously this would negate any advantage of earning points. There has never been a credit charge surcharge in prior years. Anyone else notice this?  

 I am 79 years old. I have $4000 left in CDs set aside to pay my taxes for the next two years. I owe $60,000 on my mortgage with a relatively small monthly payment. My income is $1800 a month, combined SS and retirement payments. Recent medical bills have set me behind in my budgeting. There is no wiggle room and I am starting to worry. My original plan was to sell the house when I got to this point. The house is very conducive for aging and I have a strong social network. I am try to negotiate this next step in the most optimal way. I am seeking guidance. Thank you. LynneaH149711

 I was just informed my job will be ending on May 29th. I am 64 years old and am wondering if it's better to take my 12 weeks' severance and use it to try to find another full-time job, or if I'm better off taking my SSI now (knowing I'll only earn roughly $1,350 a month) and then looking for a part time job to supplement. The SSI I'd make would be roughly what one of my two monthly paychecks is, after taxes. I don't own a car but do have a bus pass I automatically put $100 on when the limit goes down to $5, right now my employer pays for my pass so that will be another expense.  I know finding a job at my age is extremely difficult, and since my skill set is administrative assistant / receptionist / secretary, I also know AI will probably be taking over those jobs sooner rather than later.  The good news is that my condo is completely paid off, but I have a HELOC I've taken out for $65,000 that will need to be paid in full in 15 years. My husband's finances ar

Pay more toward the principal on your mortgage to pay it off faster. This will save on the interest paid over the life of the loan.

Hello,I am wondering if anyone knows how to figure the historical price of a stock. I looked up one of my shares of stock on a historical price lookup tool online and the price did not match the amount that was listed on my receipt for when the original stock share was bought. I am thinking it has something to do with the Split Adjustment Factor column listed on the historical price table and that I have to do some figuring to get the true original price. Does anyone know about this? I have to look up prices for other shares for which I do not have receipts so want to get the cost basis correct.thank you.

I'm a retired blue collar worker whoseFederal income tax bill increased by 0.618%!Income tax 2024 = 8.547%Income tax 2025 = 9.165%

 

Hello.My retired cousin is a Massachusetts resident and has gotten into financial trouble. Apparently there are credit card bills, utilities, taxes and insurance that are impossible to all pay.  There is apparently a reverse mortgage that is also a problem.  They are not techno savvy.I have offered to help them find a way out.  Is there a counselor or organization that helps people get on a solid path?  Hopefully there is a person or place they can visit in person.  Specific advice rather than generalities.  I can help with the fees that may be charged.  Thanks in advance.

Went to the Costco today. They had dishwasher tabs on sale. I anticipated the normal sale for these tabs which for years has been 100 or 110 tabs, normally about $16.00, on sale for about $13.00. Guess what greeted me...... The regular price had been jacked up to $21.00 and the sale price was now the old regular price of about $16.00. Not only that, but the box now held only 90 tabs, not the 100 or 110 tabs it used to contain. NOT ONLY WAS THERE RIDICULOUS INFLATED PRICE INCREASES BUT THERE WAS ALSO SHRINKAGE!!!!!

As the pandemic continues, emotions may be running high. AARP financial expert JeanChatzky explains how making emotional financial decisions can cause more harm than good – and shares tips for how to avoid them. Do you have tips of your own to share?

My June 2026 UHC Supplement Plan N just went up 20.2% after a similar increase last year. Would somebody please tell me how AARP actually helps me in my senior years? If I was with Mutual of Omaha I'd pay $100 less for the same coverage. What good is the AARP affiliation? Not happy.

 

Regarding the article in the AARP Bulletin in the January / February edition: "WHAT TO KNOW ABOUT TODAY'S MOST POPULAR ANNUITIES, They promise income ... at a price" by Karen Hube my comment is as follows: The biggest issue is only tangentially mentioned.  The conclusion of most annuities is the surrender of your money / investment when you die.  If you outlive your actuarial age, then you have nothing to lose, and would have profited from receiving more than your investment, at the expense of those who die earlier than their actuarial age which IS mentioned in the article. But the comparison that is not mentioned is that you could conceivably, ON YOUR OWN or through a financial advisor, make investments that could mimic annuity returns.  The difference is that your own investment stays with your estate when your die.  If you have no heirs and don't care about family or generational estate planning then this is fine.  However, if you do care about fam