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Despite thunderstorms that rumbled through the city most of the day, AARP Tennessee’s forum on financial security attracted more than 100 people to Chattanooga State Technical Community College. Forty-three people signed the Divided We Fail pledge after listening to AARP Chief Operating Officer Tom Nelson explain the movement and its significance to all Americans.

The program included a panel discussion with community business leaders that was moderated by Chattanooga Times Free Press Publisher Tom Griscom, who is the incoming chairman of the Chamber of Commerce. Panel participants were Ted Alling, president and founder of  Access American Transport; Carolyn Jones, founder, president and CEO of CJ Enterprises, Joseph Decosimo and Company principal Mike Costello; and Dr. Ann Berry, a family workplace specialist with the University of Tennessee. The master of ceremonies was Ron Loving, who heads the TVA Retirees Association.

Several attendees said they had been unaware that AARP organized such educational events, including a couple of financial planners who said it was great to hear what they’d been preaching for years.

Nelson told the audience about a recent AARP survey of boomers that found almost one-quarter of the people responding have prematurely withdrawn funds from their 401(k), IRA, or other investments.

“A third of the people we surveyed have stopped putting money into a retirement account,” Nelson said. “Sixty-six percent said they’re finding it more difficult to pay for essential items such as food and gas. More than half said the same thing about paying for heating or cooling their home, or their phone service. An especially sad finding is that 14 percent say they have cut back on their medications. And three-quarters of the people surveyed said their elected officials are not doing enough to help.’’

He said that the situation is fixable, but only if people insist that our political leaders in Washington, D.C. break the gridlock, stop the partisanship and work together to solve the critical issues of health care and long-term financial security.

“We’ve had plenty of analysis of red states vs. blue states,” Nelson said. “When it comes to health care and financial security, it’s time to look through a different lens: red, white, and blue.”

If you’d like to hear all of Tom Nelson’s speech and read the Chattanooga Times Free Press coverage, go to:
http://www.timesfreepress.com/news/2008/may/29/chattanooga-forum-eyes-financial-planning-security/