AARP: Policy and Research Information for Professionals in Aging

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AARP Bulletin Survey on Plans to Spend Stimulus Package Rebates  / Research Report
March 2008— A minority of Americans intend to spend the entirety of their stimulus package tax rebates, according to this executive summary of an AARP Bulletin nationwide survey. However, a greater percentage of those ages 50 and older plan to spend their entire rebate than those ages 18-49. (8 pages)

Investor Protection: A Survey of Oregon Adults Ages 40 and Older  / Research Report
February 2008— Oregon ranked seventh in the nation in 2006 in fraud complaints received by state securities regulators. This November 2007 telephone survey found that that the majority of Oregon residents age 40 and older invest in financial securities, but few are confident in their knowledge of investing. (23 pages)

What Now? How Retirees Manage Money To Make It Last Through Retirement  / Research Report
December 2007— How do retirees manage their accumulated savings to ensure adequate income for the remainder of their lives? How open are they to solutions that can help them achieve this objective? This joint AARP and American Council of Life Insurers (ACLI) telephone survey of 800 retirees (200 with employer-provided pensions and 600 without) examines issues of money management in retirement. (137 pages)

AARP Poll of Arkansans Age 40+ on Retirement and Investment: Summary of Top-line Findings  / Research Report
October 2007— Long-term financial security is critical to attaining what people want in retirement. This survey found that Arkansas residents age 40+ are not highly confident about preparing for retirement, and that while most respondents invest and own securities, they also indicate low levels of confidence in their personal knowledge of financial investing. (18 pages)

AARP Bulletin Poll on Financial Literacy  / Research Report
October 2007— The AARP Bulletin recently revealed the results of a nationwide poll of 1,031 people ages 40 and older that explored financial literacy on important consumer subjects such as Social Security benefits, 401(k) retirement plans, credit card theft liability, and bankruptcy trends. This Executive Summary, by Dawn V. Nelson, explains that half of the respondents “failed” the financial literacy quiz, correctly answering fewer than 50% of the items. (7 pages)

401(k) Participants’ Awareness and Understanding Of Fees  / Research Report
July 2007— How much do 401(k) plan participants know about the fees and expenses associated with their plans? Of 1,584 age 25+ 401(k) plan participants surveyed by AARP, 79 percent of those who make decisions about their investments say fees are an important consideration in their investment decisions, but 83 percent admit not knowing how much they pay with their own plans. (41 pages)

Stolen Futures: An AARP Washington Survey of Investors and Victims of Investment Fraud  / Research Report
June 2007— Investment fraud victims in Washington State are more likely than non-victims to be male, married, and employed as well as more financially literate, according to this February 2007 AARP telephone survey of two groups of investors, 125 reported victims and 258 reported non-victims of investment fraud. (44 pages)

Investor Protection and Trust: A Survey of AARP Hawai'i Members  / Research Report
April 2007— Although 67 percent of AARP members in Hawai’i invest in securities, most consider themselves neither highly knowledgeable nor confident about their abilities. Of the 700 members in this December 2006 telephone survey, 81 percent want stronger state regulations to protect all residents from financial fraud, and 84 percent favor stronger penalties for fraud targeting older adults. (24 pages)

Understanding Women's Financial Needs & Behavior  / Research Report
January 2007— Women influence over half of family investments and control 60 percent of the nation’s wealth. This December 2006 AARP telephone survey of 2,017 women ages 18 to 65+ reveals the factors that influence women’s behavior and decision-making – and the information and assistance they need – when dealing with financial questions and situations. (5 pages)

Investor Protection: A Survey of AARP Wyoming Members  / Research Report
December 2006— Two-thirds of Wyoming’s AARP members are currently investing in securities, according to this report of a recent random-sample mail survey of these members. While 16 percent of them have experienced financial fraud or know someone who has, 66 percent are concerned about becoming a victim of such fraud. (25 pages)

2006 AARP Michigan Investor Protection Trust Survey  / Research Report
October 2006— The financial investment experiences, perceptions and knowledge of 800 AARP members in Michigan are explored in this June 2006 telephone survey which found 38 percent concerned about becoming a financial fraud victim and 55 percent convinced they are more likely to become one now than five years ago. AARP MEMBER OPINION RESEARCH (15 pages)

Boomer Wealth: Beware of the Median  / Research Report
September 2006— Reports suggesting that boomers have retirement savings of $50,000 or less underestimate the amounts that boomers have and are likely to have at retirement. In this AARP Public Policy Institute Data Digest, John Gist finds that the oldest boomers have significantly more than younger boomers, and those closest to retirement still have several more years to work and accumulate assets. (6 pages) (Publication ID: DD143)

2006 AARP Oregon Money Management Survey  / Research Report
May 2006— The need for expanding AARP’s Money Management Program for low-income older and disabled persons in Oregon is assessed in these reported findings from mail surveys of a sample of social services agencies and of a sample of member banks of the Oregon Bankers Association.

Extending Preferences for Dividends and Capital Gains: Who Gains the Most?  / Research Report
March 2006— Congress is considering extending for two more years existing legislation which provides that dividends and capital gains be taxed at preferential rates. In this AARP Public Policy Institute Data Digest, John Gist examines the extent to which the age 50+ population would benefit from this provision, how the benefits would be distributed, and the provision’s effect on the budget deficit. (6 pages) (Publication ID: DD133)

Views of the Individual Investor Toward Internet-Based Delivery of Company Proxy Materials  / Research Report
March 2006— A January 2006 AARP telephone survey of age 25+ investors finds that less educated investors and older investors would be placed at a disadvantage by a U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission proposal to allow corporations and mutual funds to deliver proxy materials by relying primarily on email to announce their availability at online Web sites. (67 pages)

Goodbye to Complacency: Financial Literacy Education in the U.S. 2000-2005  / Research Report
September 2005— An overview of the proliferation and effectiveness of the personal financial education efforts undertaken during the past five years to help Americans achieve competence in personal finance.

South Carolina Money Management Needs Assessment  / Research Report
June 2005— Does South Carolina need a state-wide money management program to assist people at risk of losing their independence due to inability to manage their financial affairs? What kinds of community support would such a program attract? An AARP survey of organizations across the state explores these questions. (33 pages)

AARP Web Site Features Consumer Self-Assessment  / News Release
May 2004— AARP offers an interactive feature on its web site designed to allow consumers to evaluate their money management skills.

A Public Assessment of the Proposed Mutual Fund Disclosure Forms: A Report on Investor and Non-Investor Views of Form Content and Presentation  / Research Report
May 2004— In this study, more than 2,000 individuals age 35+ evaluated the clarity and effectiveness of two forms (which include both mutual fund "A" share forms and "B" share forms) proposed by the Security and Exchange Commission to give prospective mutual fund investors full information on costs and possible broker conflicts of interest. (158 pages)

Beyond 50.04: A Report to the Nation on Consumers in the Marketplace: Executive Summary  / Research Report
May 2004— Text only HTML version of executive summary from the fourth in AARP's Beyond 50 series; an in-depth look at older consumers in the marketplace and the obstacles they face as shoppers or personal financial managers is provided by the fourth in AARP’s Beyond 50 series of annual reports on aging in America. (123 pages)

Beyond 50.04: A Report to the Nation on Consumers in the Marketplace  / Research Report
May 2004— An in-depth look at older consumers in the marketplace and the obstacles they face as shoppers or personal financial managers is provided by the fourth in AARP’s Beyond 50 series of annual reports on aging in America. (123 pages)

AARP Survey Finds Older Investors Favor Best Price Over Speed in Market Transactions  / News Release
February 2004— Older investors surveyed by AARP say that the “best available price” should be the “top priority” when engaging in a market transaction.

AARP Finds Continuing Hangover from Earlier Stock Decline  / News Release
February 2004— A new AARP survey of investors shows a continuing hangover from the three-year market swoon that began in 2000.

Investor Perceptions and Preferences Toward Selected Stock Market Conditions and Practices: An AARP Survey of Stock Owners Ages 50 and Older  / Research Report
February 2004— Investor concerns about the stock market and the importance of such considerations as best available price, fees, transaction speed, and confidentiality are explored in this online survey of midlife and older investors. (24 pages)

Impact of Stock Market Decline On 50-70 Year Old Investors  / Research Report
December 2002— In a nationwide survey, the majority of investors between ages 50 and 70 who have lost money in stocks over the past two years report that they have adjusted their lifestyles, their work plans, or their expectations about retirement as a result of their losses. (21 pages)

Risk Preferences and the Investment Decisions of Older Americans  / Research Report
June 2001— The impact that attitudes toward risk have on individual and household investment decisions of people age 51 to 61 is explored by Vickie Bajtelsmit and Alexandra Bernasek of Colorado State University in this AARP Public Policy Institute Issue Paper. (62 pages) (Publication ID: 2001-11)

Online Investor Study  / Research Report
January 2001— The full report by Dorit Shapiro of results from a national online survey of age 45+ online investors upon which Older Online Investors, the AARP Public Policy Institute Data Digest by Sharon Hermanson, is based. (35 pages)

Inflation-Indexed Securities: Description and Market Experience  / Research Report
August 2000— Despite their potential advantages, the market for inflation-indexed securities has been slow to develop since their introduction in 1997. In exploring why individuals haven't been buying them, this AARP Public Policy Institute Issue Paper by Alison Shelton focuses primarly on small investors. (29 pages) (Publication ID: 2000-12)

Money and the American Family  / Research Report
May 2000— Key findings from the AARP/Modern Maturity national survey of adult attitudes toward money and the impact it has had on their lives. (95 pages)

Survey of State Investment Adviser Laws: A Chartbook  / Research Report
May 1999— This AARP Public Policy Institute report by Maureen Thompson of The Hastings Group updates information on the content of state investment adviser laws and the capacity of state securities agencies to protect investors from fraud, and unfair and deceptive practices in the sale of securities. (42 pages) (Publication ID: D15130)