21 Ways AARP Embraced 2021

A look back at what we achieved this unforgettable year

AARP / Senior Planet / Simon & Schuster / Getty / AARP Studios / The Arrow

By:

AARP

En español

Published December 23, 2021

The past year posed a challenge to us all: how to live our best lives while dealing with a lingering and deadly pandemic and its many ripple effects. At AARP, we worked hard — on many fronts — to help you overcome those challenges. Here are just a few of the things we achieved that we hope make you proud to be a member of AARP.

1. AARP’s advocacy team pushed for prescription drug price cuts and for a $1,400 stimulus payment.

2. More than 100,000 people called the AARP Fraud Watch Network helpline for advice.

3. The AARP Bulletin and AARP The Magazine won prestigious honors for coverage of the nursing home crisis and elder abuse.

4. AARP helped borrowers save an average of $2,200 this year on their student loan debts with the Savi Student Loan Repayment Tool, which can help identify loan forgiveness opportunities and repayment options.

5. AARP Rewards saved members who joined the program more than $3 million this year.

6. Our website, aarp.org, continued its fast growth, becoming an invaluable source for millions of users for breaking news, pandemic updates and lifestyle information targeted at Americans 50-plus.

7. We are proud that Ethisphere named AARP as one of the world’s most ethical companies for the third straight year, and also that The Washington Post once again picked us as a “top workplace” in the nation’s capital.

8. A new online platform, AARP Skills Builder for Work, teaches cutting-edge job skills to older workers.

9. Senior Planet From AARP classes helped older adults master the digital world.

10. The Arrow, an e-newsletter for men, joined The Girlfriend, Sisters From AARP and The Ethel as a source of focused fun and news.

11. AARP’s The Perfect Scam podcast aired its 100th tale of real-life fraud.

12. AARP launched Family Caregiver Guides for all 50 states.

13. Nearly 30,000 volunteers took part in AARP Foundation programs.

14. Finance industry workers who completed AARP BankSafe training stopped more than $104 million of elder financial exploitation.

15. The "Smokey Wrote That" video series celebrates icon Smokey Robinson.

16. Over 2 million people got expert advice in AARP tele-town hall meetings.

17. Wish of a Lifetime From AARP helped those 65-plus achieve long-held dreams.

18. AARP Foundation and its volunteers helped put hundreds of millions of dollars into the pockets of low-income older adults through its workforce programs and other financial services.

19. AARP Books Division released best seller Keep Sharp: Build a Better Brain at Any Age, by Sanjay Gupta, M.D.

20. AARP Foundation Tax-Aide volunteers helped more than a million people get about $745 million in federal tax refunds and credits.

21. More than 600,000 people attended virtual events via AARP’s Virtual Community Center — exercise classes, concerts, movies and more.