AARP aims to increase ranks through online app

The American Association of Retired Persons, or AARP, an organization with the stated mission of helping "people 50 and over improve the quality of their lives as they age," has launched a Web site for whippersnappers, people not old enough to be members, called LifeTuner. The consumer pitch is noble: It helps people set good financial habits early, while there's still time. The site and the advice and tools on it are free. AARP membership, of course, is not free. Hence the obvious business case for the service: It can help people retire so they can afford the dues. Everybody wins.

In a roundabout way, LifeTuner is also a benefit to existing AARP members, as the organization's research shows that 69 percent of them, "provide financial support to their adult-age children." This site could knock that number down a notch, a clear bonus for all involved.

The service itself is made up of a community system (forums, blogs, scheduled chats), expert advice articles and interactive features, various handy calculators, and a Flash-based app, My Financial Tuner, that will tell you how far ahead of, or behind, the curve you are on having the appropriate budget for your particular financial situation.

The My financial Tuner app will tell you how behind the eight ball you are.

(Credit: Screenshot by Rafe Needleman/CNET)

The Financial Tuner app reminds me of a feature on Mint, which can check your spending against demographically similar groups. Mint, though, checks your actual spending. The Tuner requires you input your major financial figures -- salaries, mortgage, average utility bills, and so forth. I'd argue that Mint, like other personal finance Web sites, is more useful, since it shows you where your actual expenses are out of whack, at a level granular enough that a simple change will be reflected in your "score" the next month. The Tuner feedback is more at the avuncular level: It will tell you how much you're spending on a category, like mortgage, and compare it to people in your income bracket, your age group, etc. But what are you going to do with that data? Move if the app says you're spending too much?

There's no real social angle on the site other than the forums. No groups you're automatically placed in based on financial situation, no buying clubs. That's too bad, because that is something people could really use, and the AARP could add market power to any financial groups its members belonged to.

There are a lot of community rooms on LifeTuner, but not yet a ton of activity.

(Credit: Screenshot by Rafe Needleman/CNET)

People over 50: If you're looking for a site to recommend to your kids or grandkids that has good financial advice, LifeTuner isn't a bad site at all to point them to. But it is a bit old-school. To really get a bead on finances, people young, old, and middle would be better-served by a more dynamic financial system like Mint, possibly coupled with an up-to-date investing site like KaChing.

[cvaldes1831]

It's not really software, it's more an online service they're offering since there's no download.

Aren't tech journalists supposed to tout that this is "cloud computing empowering seniors" or whatever the buzzword bingo term of the week is?

[rafe]

I updated the headline from "AARP aims to increase ranks through software" to "AARP aims to increase ranks through online app."

[John-D]

AARP no longer calls their organization the American Association of Retired Persons. That was a marketing decision, but really represents their loss of focus on support for the U.S. senior population. They have become a major health insurance broker and product marketing company with a very bias political agenda.

AARP should focus on the people that have made them the success they are today before they lose even more of their membership.

[cvaldes1831]

Interesting.

I recently purchased a one-year AARP membership for my mom (senior citizen), just to see what sort of benefits and programs they have. The membership packet arrived a week ago and I was rather underwhelmed (I had glanced at the bennies online). But I figured for $16 per year, it would be worth trying ($1.33 per month; I paid out of my pocket for her).

Frankly, I think she gets more tangible benefits from the local senior center, funded by taxpayers like you and me (and her).

[rcrusoe]

IMO, the AARP is an organization whose sole purpose is to make as much money as possible - for the AARP.

Maybe their new app will lead them to slow down the crap they send out through the mail. My mother is already on her 2nd shredder in three years due to all the junk that is sent to seniors these days.

[gerrrg]

AARP uses faulty lists...I'm not even close to 50, but they've been sending me stuff for years. When an organization can't even get your age correct, why would you trust their software?

[John-D]

@gerrrg,

As I mentioned in my original post they are no longer "American Association of Retired Persons" and will try and sell their services to anyone regardless of age. Frankly they do not really serve anyone except their own interests and I cancelled my membership after 8 years.