Money

As temperatures rise and Texans rely heavily on air conditioning in their homes, AARP Texas seeks to educate consumers, including older Texans, on how to protect themselves against the rising costs of electricity and other utility expenses.

AARP Texas and KSAT hosted a recent conversation about the future of Social Security. Starting 7 p.m. Wednesday, June 19, watch a 30-minute segment from the event.

The following is a statement by AARP Texas Director Bob Jackson applauding the passage of HB 3921 by the Texas Senate today, a measure which would improve the reporting of financial exploitation targeting older Texans and would give new tools to banks and securities firms to place a temporary hold on suspicious transactions. Jackson said:

With the scheduled end of the 2017 Texas legislative session approaching, AARP continues to fight for passage of several bills that aim to improve nursing home quality, ease the stress of family caregivers, protect older Texans from financial exploitation, and help consumers avoid and respond to surprise medical charges.

Retirement should be a time of peace and relaxation, not one of struggle and financial worry. And when retirees seek advice regarding retirement investments, they should expect their professional advisors to give prudent guidance that keeps their best interests in mind.

House Bill 4126, which AARP opposes, would effectively legalize in Texas a predatory practice that is under legal scrutiny across the country.

Texas Appleseed and AARP today released five “Managing Someone Else’s Money” guides, a toolkit for financial caregivers in Texas who manage money or property for those unable to do so for themselves. This interactive series of guides, in English and Spanish, is available in print and online at www.ProtectTheirMoneyTx.org.

AARP Texas and other groups align to rein in payday and auto title lending abuses.

As the economic challenges from the COVID-19 pandemic continue to affect many homeowners across Texas, AARP Texas and Lone Star Legal Aid (LSLA) have joined forces to launch the Summer of Helping Texas Homeowners and Hopeful Homeowners initiative. This program aims to assist Texans in understanding and managing various aspects of homeownership.

House Bill 2589 by Representative Donna Howard would improve access to medical power of attorney documents.