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Location:
Providence, Rhode Island
United States
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http://www.aarp.org/RI
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About Me

I am the Communications Representative for AARP. I live outside of Providence and commute to work and back each day. I enjoy working with the many volunteers and members that I meet in the course of my work. I am excited about our new national initiative, Divided We Fail which will require all political candidates running for office to address health care and financial security for all Americans. I hope you have signed a pledge card and submitted a story via the web page

Interests:
Cooking and entertaining friends takes up most of my leisure time. I also enjoy movies - all kinds except sci-fi-I also travel on my vacation to different places in the world along with my daughter who loves to travel, too.
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The Most Dangerous Piece of Mail is Free Lunch

 

The Most Dangerous Piece of Mail You’ll Get
All Year is For a Free Lunch
New AARP Survey Shows High Level of Concern About Impact of
Financial Scams Among 55+ Population
 
Washington, DC – More than three-quarters of older Americans are concerned that financial scams will damage their retirement nest eggs or those of someone they know, AARP and North American Securities Administrators Association (NASAA) said today.
 
In a survey released today by AARP, entitled Protecting Older Investors: 2009 Free Lunch Seminar Report, 78 percent of Americans age 55 and over surveyed indicated that they are very or somewhat concerned about financial scams affecting them or someone they know.  A common setting for fraudsters to engage with their victims is by offering a free lunch or dinner, by which an older individual near retirement age is solicited to attend and learn more about investing in retirement.
 
For attendees of these free seminars, the potential cost can be quite high. Of those who attended a seminar, more than three out of four (78 percent) expected that the free financial seminar would center on opportunities to learn more about financial issues. However, once at the seminar, half of seminar attendees said the presenter asked them for personal information, such as their contact information or information about their finances and 46 percent reported that presenter attempted to make a follow-up appointment at their home.  Nearly 40 percent reported that the presenter tried to sell them financial products either during or after the seminar.
 
“This survey illustrates the lesson that nothing is truly free when it comes to your financial security. Often times, those who attend free lunch seminars have no idea that they are potential targets of financial fraud,” said Jean Setzfand, Director of Financial Security at AARP. “Many people go to these seminars hoping to learn about ways to create a more secure retirement, but instead are pitched financial products that are fraudulent or unsuitable for them.”
 
Nearly 6 million Americans age 55 and older have attended a free lunch or dinner in the past three years, with mail as the most common method of solicitation (63 percent). Over a quarter of invitees (27 percent) have received ten or more invitations.
 
In response to such solicitations, AARP launched the Free Lunch Monitor program in collaboration with North American Securities Administrators Association (NASAA) in October 2008. The purpose of the national program is to raise public awareness about the possible dangers of attending free lunch seminars, empower investors of all ages with the tools to decipher fraudulent educational presentations, and share a tool to report suspicious activity—the Free Lunch Monitor Checklist.
 
Setzfand added, “AARP’s creation of the Free Lunch Monitor program with NASAA reflects the commitment we have made to provide our members, their families, and older Americans the best information about how to protect their savings. AARP encourages more people to get involved with our programs to help root out fraud that threatens your long-term financial security.” 
 
To learn more about the Free Lunch Monitor program or to become a monitor, visit www.aarp.org/nofreelunch.
 
For more information about the survey and volunteer findings, please visit www.aarp.org/freelunchreport.
 
 
Added: November 12, 2009
Views: 16 | Comments: 1 | Bookmarks: 0
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  Comments (7)  
norma40
norma40 says:

I am totaly disastified w/ your blessing on the health care reform bill. What promises did you all get? Frankly, your prescription drug plan was a total fiasco as this will be. It's time for the people to speak out and picket the offices of the AARP offices in every single state and I will be initiation such a suggestion
Posted: November 8, 2009 3:48PM EST
norma40
norma40 says:

I am deeply disturbed by your advocation of the Health Care Bill and do not believe that AARP is working for the people who belong to the org. The prescription drug coverage is a complete disaster and I am totally disastified w/it. I think it is time that we as a people of your organization go and quietly picket your offices and I will be inititation such a project along w/ many of my friends who feel the same way
Posted: November 8, 2009 3:45PM EST
Sard3
Sard3 says:

How do you join the AARP RI Online Community?
Posted: May 1, 2008 8:43AM EDT
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