Jennifer Millea

Do you know someone whose work as a volunteer is making a significant difference in your community?

Our nation and its working families face an unprecedented crisis: a vast retirement savings deficit, estimated to be as much as $6.6 trillion, or about $57,000 per household. New research from the National Institute of Retirement Security (NIRS) shows an alarming lack of retirement savings among average working-age households in the United States. According to NIRS, the average working household in America has only about $3000 saved for retirement and 45% of working-age households – about 38 million -- have no retirement savings at all. In Connecticut, over 45% of all workers have no access to a retirement savings plan through their job, according to The Retirement Security Project (RSP). Among workers of color the outlook is even bleaker. The NIRS examined what they call a “racial divide” in retirement savings that found workers of color, in particular Latinos, were significantly less likely than White workers to be covered by an employer-sponsored retirement plan—whether a 401(k) or defined benefit (DB) pension. The report found that this lack of access substantially drives down the level of retirement savings.

AARP Connecticut has submitted testimony to the General Assembly's Labor Committee in support of House Bill 5283, AN ACT CONCERNING EXPANSION OF FAMILY AND MEDICAL LEAVE. AARP supports the bill and efforts at both the state and federal level that increase paid leave and cover more workers for longer periods of time so that employees can both attend to their own health needs and care for loved ones. H.B. 5283 expands the family members covered by the law so that an employee may use Family and Medical Leave to care for a parent-in-law, sibling, grandparent or grandchild.

Guest Blog b y Carol Hazlett, AmeriCorps VISTA Leader, Agency on Aging of South Central CT --

Today’s job market can be challenging for anyone, but for workers age 50 and older, finding a job, or remaining in the workforce past traditional retirement age, can pose unique challenges. Consider this formidable statistic: Nationally, jobseekers age 55 and up spend an average of 46 weeks looking for work, as compared to 34 weeks for younger jobseekers. That is nearly a year, on average, of unemployment. And the outlook for older workers in Connecticut -- the 7th “oldest” state in the nation – is no better.

What traits do victims of online fraud share, and how can you protect yourself from becoming a victim? The answers to these questions and more may be found in a new national study released today by AARP which identifies an online victim profile based on 15 key behaviors and life experiences that increase a person’s vulnerability to online fraud. The report, “ Caught in the Scammer’s Net,” a national survey of 11,000 adults, finds that 34 million Internet users may be at increased risk of being victimized based on this new profile.

AARP Connecticut has submitted testimony on several bills being considered by the General Assembly's Aging Committee that would promote "aging in place", expand access to home and community-based care, and support family caregivers caring for an individual with Alzheimer's or an aging loved one. The bills would allow more people to receive care in their homes, provide caregivers with necessary training and expand respite services. Read testimony presented by Connecticut resident and AARP volunteer, Kathy Null, here and testimony from AARP volunteer Pat Gerckens here. Read AARP's written testimony on additional bills before the Aging Committee here.

AARP Connecticut has submitted testimony on legislation being considered by the Connecticut General Assembly's Energy and Technology Committee (H.B. 5413) that would direct the Public Utilities Regulatory Authority (PURA) to investigate the feasibility of modernizing telecommunications service in Connecticut. AARP feels the legislation is unneccesary given PURA's ability to open a docket whenever it chooses. If the Legislature moves forward with such legislation, we recommend that it include language that would require PURA to prepare and submit a report to the Legislature after gathering critical market information and conducting their investigation in a contested proceeding.

Hoping that the second time is the charm, AARP is once again supporting legislation introduced by Governor Malloy (Senate Bill 23) that would allow businesses to legally incorporate as benefit corporations in Connecticut. According to an article last year by CT by the Numbers, "The bill aims to help social entrepreneurs protect their organization’s social mission, and provide a transparent, accessible, and simple mechanism for defining their business’s social goals". According to supporters of the bill, the legislation also would help drive job creation and increase the number of community-based partners committed to solving some of Connecticut’s most pressing social issues without requiring additional state funding. Whether it is about starting a new career or volunteering to help others achieve their goals, AARP CT views social enterprise as a valuable opportunity for age 50+ entrepreneurs, also known as “Encore Entrepreneurs,” and active retirees with sharp business and entrepreneurial acumen. This legislation would help both connect their skills and passions with a simple, standardized way to formalize their commitment to simultaneously creating public good and profit.

AARP strongly supports enactment of H.B. 5215, the Uniform Power of Attorney Act, or UPOAA, in Connecticut and indeed in every state. As a nonpartisan social mission organization representing nearly 37 million members age 50+, and over 603,000 here in Connecticut, AARP believes the protections outlined in H.B. 5215 will safeguard against financial abuse of elders and promote choice.