Money

AARP Link:  ConsumerCellular.com/4346 So I've researched this offer and decided its not for me!  Why?  Because you will be on a very low priority on ATT or Tmobile cell service.  That's how they can offer these cheap cell phone service offers.  The phone service on AT&T may be good in your area, but in times of heavy service you will be downgraded from 5G (if you are even getting that) down to 4G and THEN very slow bandwidth or no service at all.  This of course happens in times of Emergency or local outages in cell towers.  They give priority to their regular subscribers - of course.  Consumer Cellular is an MVNO (mobile virtual network operator) as described below.  I want my family to have the security of reliable cell service so I'm sticking with Verizon - at least for now.  This is another example of AARP giving seniors a "great offer" without disclosing what you may be giving up and the lower level of service that you wil

Yesterday I got a first class letter from a mortgage servicer I've never heard of, with the heading "We're your new mortgage servicer!" on the front. It's addressed to someone I never heard of at my address. I haven't opened it, but it looks like an invoice for a monthly mortgage payment. I checked my texts. My real mortgage servicer just sent me a notice that they're about to withdraw my monthly mortgage payment from my bank account, as usual. I logged in to my account; no notice about a change of mortgage servicer there. This smells like a scam to me, but I'm darned if I can see what it is. Any advice? Should I return to sender? Burn it? Turn it over to the Post Office?

Hello! I'm new to this community. How many of you pre-retirees or retirees are still supporting adult children? I'd love to know your story and if you've had success making money online?

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

Hello everyone,1- Is it possible to get a transcript of the Video ?2-I am collecting. Social Security already, my wife has turned 65 and was exploring the spousal benefit.My question:If my wife takes her Spousal Benefit now ( 65 years and 2 months), can she claim her Full Retirement Age Benefit at 67, which will. be higher than the Spousal Benefit she will get, or, Since she took Spousal benefit at 65 years and 2 months, she will be "stuck" with that amount even when she attains Full Retirement Age ?Thanks for the inputs and insightsRao

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.

I am 57 years old and still working full time,  living on my own. My sister is 54, in poor health, and lives with my mom. Our mother is soon to turn 81, in reasonably good health, or at least has way less medical issues than her youngest daughter. Are there any benefits from SSI or anywhere for my mother, since she is caring for her child, or are caregiver benefits only for children caring for aging parents? Who would be a good source to even ask?

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.

 Has anyone collected their $400 bonus after 120 days of maintaining the required balance?  I called them today and asked when I'd be credited my bonus.  Their answer was I'd have to wait up to and additional 60 days and the bonus is only $200.  This is the AARP bonus information as of 6/23 showing $400 and nothing about a +60 day waiting period!  https://www.aarp.org/membership/benefits/finance/select-savings-from-barclays/?msockid=0017ee41565068e70f1bf8b5577d6968 

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 recently received a "welcome to Venmo" email in my gmail account.  I didn't think much of it (I get a lot of spam in that account).  But later I thought, "wait, I've been a Venmo user for years, I shouldn't be getting a welcome email."  Sure enough, after checking it appears that someone has used my gmail address to help set up a new Venmo account.  I've reported to the FTC.  Changed all passwords for my online accounts.  Froze all credit reports.  I tried reporting to Venmo, but good luck with that: intercepted at every turn by a "beta" AI agent that doesn't seem to understand how to handle this type of situation, beyond sending me back to the help page.  The "contact us" also tends to loop around back to the help page or the AI agent.  The phone voice menu also has trouble with this type of situation and wants me to try chat (with the AI agent).  In the meantime, the scammer WAS more adept.  He/she appears to have set up the ac

This is the summary - the full report can be accessed by the link on the top or left of the page. Offered without comment. 2026 Social Security and Medicare Trustee Report Summary   

My wife and I are both retired, both upper 60’s, and both have SSI accounts, but haven’t started taking them yet. I’m reasonably healthy, but she is too, and statistically, she’s likely to outlive me. My proposed benefit payment is considerably more than hers. I wasn’t going to start taking benefits until I had to (ie 70 1/2 currently?), since we are fairly comfortable financially, and my benefit will increase if we wait. Also, our understanding is that if I die first, as a surviving spouse she gets to receive my benefit…but not *both* mine and hers. So we’re thinking, in a practical sense, we maybe should have her start taking her benefit now, since if if I get hit by a truck next year, at that point she effectively loses her benefit (and switches to mine). Does that make sense? Do we have our facts right?

A few days ago, I learned that there is a regulation that the federal government is proposing that would allow private equity companies to access funds in retirement accounts. Public comment on the proposed regulation ends today, June 1st at 11:59 PM.. If you have a retirement account and don't want private equity companies to access the funds in the account, then you might want to provide public comments. Here is the link to the Federal Register to provide public comment. Please share this with other people you may know.

If you want free magazines, you can get many free either print or online by googling free magazine subscriptions.  Mercury and Blue Dolphin are popular.  Most are a year but some are longer.  FREE.  No money, no credit card.  Just fill in your info.  You might want to use an alternate email or abbreviate your name (Mary Jones becomes M Jones). Enough that it will still get delivered by your postal carrier but enough that you know when the junk mail comes asking you now to pay that you can disregard the mail.  I have been doing this for years and never paid a cent.  Some subscriptions keep offering me the same one over and over so the subscription might last for several years.  (Sorry system would not let me reply to OP mentioning the mags for points)  Also some might offer you a digital version

There was no way to comment on the actual Bulletin feature online, so I am posting my comment here. This feature was more about mental health than a scam, in my opinion. It said more about the victim needing help with loneliness, risk taking/gambling, delusion and lust than anything else. The victim needs help. Where was his family while all this was going on? Didn’t they see that their dad was having other, more dangerous problems? Just sayin’. Good grief.

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.

 I'm having problems with Login.gov account when I try to log in to Social Security. I get the run around when I start the ID myself and I am told my cell phone number does not exist. My old landline number I no longer have but haven't found a way to delete it. There are ways to add phone numbers but apparently no way to delete my old number. Has anyone had problems trying to ID yourself so you can get to your Social Security account?

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

Everyone might want to read this recent editorial from MarketWatch and Morningstar here - - https://www.morningstar.com/news/marketwatch/2026031757/social-security-benefit-cuts-are-coming-and-they-will-hit-current-retirees-hard.  A 1960 Supreme Court ruling in Fleming vs. Nestor established the principle that entitlement to Social Security benefits is NOT a contractual right.  The Court based its decision on section 1104 of the 1935 Social Security Act, entitled "RESERVATION OF POWER", which specifically states, "The right to alter, amend or repeal any provision of this Act is hereby reserved to the Congress."  While some might think that this reservation is unconstitutional, the above Supreme Court ruling settled this issue in Fleming vs. Nestor.  Denying or wholly removing benefits is neither unconstitutional nor an entitlement.  The Supreme Court ruling here - https://www.ssa.gov/history/nestor.html  While it's true, according to the SSA