AARP Addresses Retirement Anxiety in Post-Pension Era

Finding seniors reluctant to retire in the post-pension era, AARP has unveiled a new Ready for Retirement website featuring a new Social Security Question and Answer (Q&A) interactive tool providing answers to the more than 11,000 questions AARP has received on the issue.  

Sixty-five percent of respondents to an August AARP survey said they worry they won't have enough to retire, and 72 percent believe they will have to delay retirement. The new website offers a simple five-step approach featuring calculators, quizzes, interactive seminars, articles and tips. 

"As pensions disappear for many American families, preparing for a successful retirement has become increasingly important, and AARP wants to ensure people have the tools they need to save for their futures," said Jean Setzfand, AARP Vice President for Financial Security.  "The new Ready for Retirement site shows people the actions they need to take to plan out the retirement they want."

The AARP.org Ready for Retirement site walks users through the planning process step-by-step, from setting their retirement goals, determining how to maximize their Social Security income, and budgeting and generating enough lifetime income to meet the rest of their needs.

How it works

Social Security provides the backbone for most Americans' retirement planning, but studies have shown that most Americans have a limited understanding of how the program works. The AARP Social Security Q&A Tool aims to clear up some of that confusion by providing instant answers to the 11,000 Social Security-related questions that have been submitted to AARP's financial security experts through phone calls, letters, emails and live "ask-the-experts" webinars.

The tool is free, but requires users to register on the AARP.org website.  If users of the tool have a question not included, they can ask AARP for an answer and AARP says they will receive a timely response.