The ‘chained CPI’ proposal in plain English.

President Barack Obama and House Speaker John Boehner are deep into negotiations on a fiscal cliff deal — and unfortunately, the hard-earned Social Security benefits of current retirees, veterans and workers with disabilities are on the table.

The chained CPI proposal is positioned as a ‘slight tweak’ to the Social Security cost-of-living-adjustment (COLA).

The problem is that for people who have paid into Social Security for decades, many of whom are barely scraping by with an average monthly income of under $1,300,  the change isn’t so slight. It adds up to $112 billion over the next 10 years— money directly out of your pocket if you currently rely on Social Security as a source of income.

The new COLA calculation aims to account for ways consumers change their buying habits when prices change, such as choosing chicken instead of beef at the grocery store. This theory breaks down for seniors. That’s because a high percentage of their income goes to prescription drugs, utilities and health care costs that keep going up. And there are no lower-cost substitutes.

Join us in taking action now! Tell Washington no cuts to Social Security as part of a last-minute budget deal.

You’ve paid into Social Security and Medicare for years, and you deserve an open, thoughtful discussion about proposals to protect these programs for current retirees and strengthen them for our kids and grandkids.

Our current retirees, and our veterans and people with disabilities, deserve better than shortsighted changes crammed into an eleventh-hour budget deal before people have a chance to read the fine print.

So is Social Security a bad deal? No way! Just looking at a few examples misses the bigger picture. When you put money into Social Security, you’re buying inflation-protected, guaranteed lifetime income that is not subject to market risk. That’s not something you can get from any other retirement plan.

You don’t have to worry about outliving your money – Social Security will be there for you and your spouse for your lifetimes. In today’s economy – with high unemployment, fewer jobs offering pensions and people struggling to save for retirement – Social Security offers a steady, reliable source of income that you can count on.

For those who think they can get a better deal with private investments – think again. While the Great Recession was decimating the retirement savings of millions of Americans, millions of retirees continued to receive the guaranteed, inflation-protected Social Security benefit they earned. It’s important to remember that private investments cannot substitute for Social Security. Social Security represents the guaranteed base of retirement income and should be supplemented with personal savings, 401ks and other investment options.

The current reality is that Social Security is the largest source of income for most retirees. And the truth is that more than 1 in 3 working households age 21-64 today has no individual savings set aside for retirement. So rather than being a bad deal, Social Security will be more important than ever for younger generations.

That’s why AARP thinks we need to start talking NOW about the future of Social Security – before there’s a crisis. Visit You’ve Earned a Say and make sure Washington hears from you today. With a few meaningful changes, we can ensure future generations receive the benefits they’ve earned and have the critical foundation they will need for their own retirement security.

AARP is taking the national conversation about Social Security and Medicare on the road!

August 3 marked the kickoff of AARP’s You’ve Earned a Say National Tour to engage more Americans in the conversation about health and retirement security and the future of Medicare and Social Security.

We’ll be stopping in cities and towns across the country, as well as both the DNC and RNC conventions, the Presidential and Vice Presidential candidate debates, state fairs, and AARP’s Life@50+ member event.

Each tour stop will feature an interactive experience – quizzes, games, information about Medicare and Social Security proposals on the table in Washington, and the opportunity to make a video to share your thoughts.

See if the tour is headed to your area – check out the NEW October schedule below!

10/4: Senate Forum, Portland, ME

10/5: Bangor Mall, Bangor, ME

10/6: Bath Citizen Involvement Day, Bath, ME

10/8: Kennedy Bookstore with WGKS & WCDA, Lexington, KY

10/9: Louisville TRIAD Senior Day Out 2012, Louisville, KY

10/10: Danville Hometown Radio Cook-Out at Kroger, Danville, KY

10/11: 2012 Vice Presidential Debate Festival and Watch Party, Danville, KY

10/11: Cracker Barrel, Binghamton, NY

10/12: SUNY Geneseo MacVittie College Union, Geneseo, NY

10/13: CNY Farmers’ Market, Syracuse, NY

10/14: Family Fun Day, Queensbury, NY

10/15: Harlem You’ve Earned a Say, New York, NY

10/16: Hofstra Presidential Debate, Hempstead, NY

10/20-10/21: Lynn University Pre-Debate Events, Boca Raton, FL

Last week AARP volunteers from around the country flooded Washington, DC, to urge Congress to tell YOU how they would strengthen Medicare and Social Security for future generations.

During over 200 Congressional visits, AARP presidents from all 50 states shared the results of the first You’ve Earned a Say questionnaire which, while not scientific, reflect the opinions of many Americans.

They also shared what members and Americans from across the nation are saying:

 “It’s very important that we protect Medicare and Social Security. My generation needs it, now! Strengthen it so my children can use it too.” -D. Steffens, Sandwich, IL

“With aging baby-boomers retiring it is vital that both Medicare and Social Security be strengthened.” -W. Larkin, Martinsburg, WV

“Senior Americans have worked long and hard to secure their future in their golden years… Medicare and Social Security should be protected and strengthened. That should be a #1 priority.” -C. Varner, Buckhannon, WV

Since March, “You’ve Earned a Say” has been taking the conversation about Social Security and Medicare out from behind closed doors in Washington. We are in your community – at town halls, hosting community conversations, at state fairs – so YOU can have your say and learn about the changes politicians are debating.

Together, we can change the conversation in Washington and make sure the voices of hard-working Americans are included in the debate about how to strengthen these programs for future generations.

Join your fellow AARP members – submit your photo to AARP’s Share Your Say Wall today! With enough people speaking up, we can show Washington the future of Medicare and Social Security is too important for politics as usual.

Over the last year, we heard from millions of Americans, like you, who’ve told us they’re tired of politicians in Washington talking about changes to their benefits in backroom budget deals.  They say they’ve paid into Medicare and Social Security and believe they’ve earned a voice in determining the future of these programs.  They want the programs to remain strong, to continue to protect health and retirement security for today’s seniors and future generations.  And, they believe Washington isn’t listening to them and they want to be heard.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Over the next year, You’ve Earned a Say will work to engage people in every state and community in this crucial national conversation.

• We’ll be holding community conversations and other events in all 50 states plus Washington, DC; the Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico; and asking you all to share your opinions through a series of questionnaires.
• We’re going to help you and all Americans share your ideas directly with your members of Congress and the presidential candidates on earnedasay.org.
• We’ll be publishing the questionnaire results on earnedasay.org and in AARP publications, so that you will know what other people all across America are saying.
• We’ll be producing state-by-state reports that will include questionnaire results to Congress and the White House, and feature comments collected throughout “You’ve Earned a Say.”

So take the first step and join us in this national conversation at earnedasay.org.  We can’t wait to hear from you!

So with all that we’ve accomplished together, where could we possibly start?  How about with what we believe Social Security beneficiaries are most looking forward to – the first increase in benefits since 2009!  In a time of great economic turmoil and ever increasing costs, this little bit of help will surely be a great relief to many Americans.

Along those same lines, we are also thrilled to be able to say that Medicare patients will not have to worry about losing access to doctors as the New Year rolls in.  Congress was able to pull it together to prevent the drastic 30% cuts to doctors that was set to begin on January 18.  Of course, we hope Congress will pass a long-term solution to permanently fix the broken physician payment formula…but that’s a fight for next year, perhaps!

Let’s not forget to give a shout-out to the Congressional “supercommittee!” With almost 8 million actions taken by each of you, we successfully stopped any cuts to the hard-earned Social Security and Medicare benefits millions rely on.

Last, we blew past our 2011 goal on helping consumers afford their home energy costs! We achieved a staggering savings of $542,459,474 thanks to legislative or regulatory victories in 22 states. These savings will impact over 16 million consumers 50 and older. These amazing victories couldn’t have happen without the hard work and activism of nearly 100,000 AARP members across the country.

Without your help, none of this would have been possible. Your unyielding dedication is an inspiration to all of us at AARP. For that, we can only say THANK YOU – and see you in 2012!

Are there any accomplishments we missed? Tell us in the comments!

When it comes to presidential elections, the Hawkeye State takes pride in being the “first in the nation,” as their caucuses are considered the first major electoral event for both the Democratic and Republican presidential nominees.

With only weeks to go before the January 3 caucuses, AARP wanted the media and general public to know more about what the Republican candidates are saying about jobs, the economy, Social Security and other important issues. So we trekked to lovely Sioux City, Iowa, where the final debate before the caucuses was taking place on Thursday, December 15.

We started the morning by distributing 1,000 DVD copies of our 2012 Video Voters’ Guide to likely caucus goers in Sioux City’s historic 4^th Street area. The voters’ guide features unedited, 20-minute conversations with Congresswoman Michele Bachmann, former Speaker Newt Gingrich, Congressman Ron Paul and Governor Rick Perry. Former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney declined to participate.

We also launched a new voter profile information tool at www.aarp.org/YouEarnedIt  to highlight key statistics on important retirement security issues for voters in Iowa, New Hampshire, South Carolina, Florida, and Nevada (the early primary and caucus states).  The Voter Profile tool delivers basic information on the expected average age of caucus goers/primary voters in each state, median income, unemployment rate, Social Security and Medicare statistics, and more.

Probably the most exciting part of the day was sponsoring the post-debate “Spin Room” at the Sioux City Convention Center!  Unfortunately we didn’t get to hear any of the candidates talk about Social Security, Medicare, or retirement security during the debate itself. But you can count on AARP to keep working – with your help – to inject these important issues into the national conversation.

Live in Siouxland? CableONE is airing AARP’s Video Voters’ Guide on Channel 10 from 6:33-8 p.m. Sundays, Tuesdays and Thursdays until the Iowa Caucuses on January 3.

Not in Sioux City? Don’t worry – you can watch all the interviews anytime at www.AARP.org/YouEarnedIt.

And remember – AARP is non-partisan. We do not have a political action committee and do not endorse candidates or contribute to their campaigns. All our voter education activities are designed to encourage members and the general public to exercise their constitutional right to vote and to highlight the issues that affect Americans age 50+ and their families with the Presidential candidates and their campaigns.

How do you think the debates are going so far?  Are they helping you learn more about the candidates, or is there not enough substance? I’d love to hear your opinion in the comments!

The 2012 presidential election is almost a year away…but the political circus has already started…and the elephants are on the march. The news is filled with stories of candidate controversies and debate gaffes – but it’s hard to find any concrete information on where the candidates actually stand on the issues that matter.

So where’s a voter to go if they want the real facts, and not the partisan spin? We proudly submit that AARP is a good place to start. AARP has been engaged in non-partisan voter education activities for 25 years. We don’t have a political action committee and we don’t endorse any candidates or contribute to any campaigns. Period. Our goal is to encourage AARP members and the general public to exercise their constitutional right to vote.

We’re working hard to provide information to AARP members and all Americans on where the candidates stand so they can make informed decisions at the polls on election day. The issues we’re focusing on this Presidential Election are the economy, jobs, and retirement security, especially the future of Social Security and Medicare.

And we’re not just asking the candidates where they stand on these important issues – we’re asking you too. Recently, we surveyed likely voters and caucus goers in Iowa, New Hampshire, South Carolina and Florida. The results show that these voters overwhelmingly believe that Social Security and Medicare are essential to a secure retirement and oppose cuts to their earned benefits to reduce the deficit.

We’ve also created a Video Voters’ Guide with the Republican presidential candidates who are polling 5% or higher in a national average of non-partisan surveys. In the video guide, Congresswoman Michele Bachmann, former Speaker Newt Gingrich, Congressman Ron Paul, and Governor Rick Perry shared their views on the issues of jobs and the economy, retirement security, Social Security and Medicare. Former CEO of Godfather’s Pizza Herman Cain and former Governor Mitt Romney were also asked to participate but unfortunately declined the invitation. The video guide will be available online on December 14th and available for order at 1-888-OUR-AARP.

For information on the survey results, the Video Voters’ Guide, and other voter education activities, check out www.aarp.org/youearnedit. And stay tuned for more from AARP. We promise to help you cut through the spin and get the facts you need to make an informed decision at the voting booth.

AARP members flooded the White House and the halls of Congress with over 944,000 calls and emails, and it was clear that your voices were heard. The House and Senate agreed to raise the debt ceiling – without any cuts to the Social Security and Medicare benefits you’ve worked your whole lives for.

We’re relieved that Congress was able to come to a bipartisan agreement (see how your Senators and Representatives voted) that ensured older Americans would continue to receive their Social Security checks and keep the doctors they know and trust – and we know the pressure you put on Capitol Hill helped influence their decision. But the fight isn’t over yet.

AARP is committed to making sure older Americans have a voice at the table as Congress works out the details of a long-term agreement before the end of the year – an agreement that could include changes to critical programs seniors depend on.

That’s why, in the weeks and months ahead, we encourage you to get involved to send a clear message to Congress to protect Medicare and Social Security benefits. We must remain vigilant and convince our nation’s leaders to work together to strengthen health and retirement security for current and future generations.

In the meantime, read more about the deal and what it means for Social Security, Medicare, and you.

Thanks again to everyone out there who took the time to contact their elected officials.

AARP’s reaction? Don’t even THINK about it!

Dealing with the deficit should be a priority, but this is the bottom line: Social Security did not contribute to the deficit and should not be cut as part of any budget deal. Your hard-earned benefits are not a bargaining chip in this debate. 

You can visit AARP.org to read CEO A. Barry Rand’s official statement. More importantly, I encourage you to take action immediately. The clock is winding down on this debate, and every phone call and email is crucial.  Here are 4 easy things you can do:

1) Send an email to President Obama and your members of Congress via http://aarp.us/n9MsDV.

2) Call the White House comment line at 1-866-932-6171 and urge President Obama to protect Social Security and Medicare from harmful cuts. If you don’t get through (the White House comment line has been completely flooded, as you can imagine), leave a voicemail.

3) Tell your friends and family what’s going on. E-mail them the link to take action and the phone number (1-866-932-6171).

4) On Twitter or Facebook? Here is a sample tweet and a sample Facebook message you can post!

Each of these actions only takes a minute. So the question is: do you have 4 minutes to protect the benefits you’ve worked a lifetime for? I think the answer is…YES!

Let’s keep the drumbeat going. The White House and Congress need to hear from each of us with a clear, strong message: Social Security and Medicare benefits should not be on the table for deficit reduction.

Thanks, all.