Age 62 Perks and Benefits
Getting older does have its perks and benefits and turning 62 means, you have even more. There are several advantages for the Baby Boomers who have reached the golden age of 62. You will find there are wonderful perks you are privy to when you travel, dine out, for your living arrangements, and the big one – Social Security benefits. These are just a few examples. Below will give you a more in-depth look at these and other age 62 perks and benefits.
Social Security: Let’s start with the one most have been waiting on – Social Security benefits. Although the full retirement age is set at 66 years old, when you turn 62, you will become eligible for 75 percent of your benefits. This is due to getting your benefits 48 months early. However, this means more income and less time you have to spend working. You are allowed to work part time and earn up to $15,480 while still getting your Social Security benefits. What a nice way to transition into full retirement? More about Social Security.
Travel: Now that you have extra time on your hands, you may be thinking about doing a little light traveling. Well, being 62 means you can now do so with great discounts. One example is the reduced rates individuals who are 62 or older receive from the IHG chain of hotels. This includes hotels such as Holiday Inn, Crowne Plaza, and Candlewood Suites. Marriot also offers a 15 percent discount and Hyatt offers 20 to 30 percent off. If visiting the nation’s parks, you will be happy to learn that for just $10, you can get a lifetime senior pass to the US National Park Services when you reach age 62.
Dining: There are numerous restaurant establishments that offer discounts to their customers who are 62 and over. For example, White Castle, Arby’s, Culver’s, Denny’s, Sonic, and many others offer 10% off. Some eateries have special days they offer these discounts, while others have them available daily. Of course you can get the AARP discounts of all kinds if you are a member.
Senior Living: There was once a negative connotation associated with moving to senior living housing. However, in recent years they have been the best thing for many individuals who made the move. The houses or apartments are usually safe and secure, the décor is high quality with many having luxury finishes like granite and hardwoods, the monthly rent or fees are lower, and best of all, there are usually many community activities with others in the same age range. There is no longer having to deal with yard work or snow removal, as it is provided at most locations. In addition, the security at these communities means you will never have an unexpected guest and you can have peace of mind. You are eligible for all of this at the age of 62 at most of them.
Shopping: Just as there are a number of restaurants that offer discounts to those who are 62, so do many retail stores. Kohl’s has 15 percent off, Clarks has 10 percent off, Food Lion has 6 percent off on Mondays, and these are just a few. By calling your favorite store, you can easily find out their discount policy as well.
One thing to remember when reaping your perks and benefits of being 62 is to carry your ID. This is because many establishments that offer discounts do ask for ID to verify age. Other than that, you are now set to rake in all the saving while having the added benefit of extra time and money on your hands, especially if your partially retire and begin to collect your Social Security benefits.
How do you get these discounts at the hotels, etc.? Do you just have to ask for them or do you have to be some sort of member?
It works both way, some had a senior discount. Many offer the AARP discounts for their members. AARP membership is only $16 per year so it pays to be a member.
I think a lot of people older than age 62 do not really know about all of the perks they might have. Even when I worked at a fast food place, I would ask people if they wanted the senior discount (even though that was frowned upon), but it was the right thing to do. Many people did not even know that we had one.
Great article. We can always use more savings ideas. I don’t know if this might help your readers but I have a list of “senior discounts” in one of my blogs at: http://www.survive55.com/1/post/2014/06/senior-discounts.html
Keep up the great work.
You write, “If visiting the nation’s parks, you will be happy to learn that for just $10, you can get a lifetime senior pass to the US National Park Services when you reach age 62.”
The reality is, “$80 lifetime pass, plus a $10 handling fee.”