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The Best Cell Phone Plans for Seniors

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Senior citizens are more active today than ever before. From living in vibrant retirement communities to fully independent living, they work hard to make sure life is never slow and boring. With so many activities to choose from, they seem to always be on the move. Safety mixed in with all that play is an important thing, of course, and cell phones offer extra security on the go.

Regardless of your age, a cell phone can help others find and help you if your car breaks down, you get lost or you have any kind of emergency. Having said that, a complicated, expensive phone plan loaded with all the bells and whistles isn't necessarily what most seniors need. Here's a look at some of the best cell phone plans for seniors.

Be Smart or Keep It Basic?

If you're a senior who is new to the cell phone world, then you should expect to be stunned by the sheer number of phone models available. Choosing a phone won't be as simple as picking your favorite from a handful of choices. It will be tempting to shy away from greater complexity and go for a no-frills phone, but before you do that, consider that smartphones offer many benefits for seniors. These devices have access to many apps that make life more convenient, such as calendars, daily planners, reminder alerts and navigational tools.

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Older phones and old-school styles are easier to use as simple phones, but they don't offer many extras beyond the ability to make calls and send text messages. If the phone is a throwback all the way to the early days of cell phones, texting would actually be a lot of work, thanks to the multiple key pushes needed to get to the right letters on the keypad. If you take a lot of medications or lead a busy life that requires a lot of scheduling and reminders, then choosing a smartphone can save you both time and money. It may seem intimidating, but you probably have someone in your life who can teach you how to use the multitude of helpful apps.

Consumer Cellular

Don't want to be locked into a long contract? No problem! Consumer Cellular is fantastic if you aren't comfortable committing to long-term service. The company also allows you to adjust your plan whenever you want, without charging you extra for the privilege. Most cell phone plans have contracts that last 24 months or come with other tricks to lock you in for the long term, such as big discounts (maybe even free) on phones — as long as you pay for them using a 24+ month installment plan. (See the trick there?) If your needs change during that time, you have to pay extra to cancel your service.

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Consumer Cellular, on the other hand, offers the flexibility that is beneficial for senior citizens (or anyone, really). If you're an American Association of Retired Persons (AARP) member, the company offers additional discounts on special services. A basic phone plan costs around $25 a month for a single line and includes 500 MB of data. Even better, it only costs another $5 to bump that data amount to 3 GB.

T-Mobile Essentials

T-Mobile is one of the largest cell phone companies in the world, so it's no surprise that it offers some of the biggest and best deals too. If you call or text family and friends often and want to use the internet on your phone, then an unlimited package for your phone might be the best option, and T-Mobile offers some good, competitive deals with auto-pay options, even on unlimited text and data roaming abroad.

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If you're 55 or older, you can take advantage of one of T-Mobile's unlimited senior plans. The plans start around $30 a month for unlimited talk, text and date with auto pay, possibly even less with certain promotions, and don't require any service contracts. That's a pretty good deal, particularly if you use your cell phone a lot for a variety of purposes.

GreatCall Jitterbug Smart Plan

Senior cell plans don't get much better than GreatCall's Jitterbug offerings. The company offers devices with a range of features, including medical apps to help you manage conditions and medications. With a Jitterbug Smart2 phone in hand, you can rest easy knowing the essential tools you need, like reminders, voice texting capabilities and mobile internet service, are always in the palm of your hand.

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The phone also comes equipped with integrated Lyft service, meaning you don't even have to download the app to use it. Choose between basic, preferred and ultimate plans, with prices starting around $60 a month. The convenience and support provided by the cell plans and easy-to-use devices are the main reasons so many senior citizens turn to GreatCall and Jitterbug.

Verizon Basic Plans

Verizon offers a lot of coverage across the country, and the network is extremely reliable. However, the price tag of the provider's unlimited plans, which start around $70 a month if you only have one line, inspires many seniors to look elsewhere for service. Those plans provide unlimited 4G or 5G data, talk and text, mobile hotspots and free calls to Canada and Mexico, but those may not be features you actually need.

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If your phone use is more conservative and you don't need an unlimited plan, then one of the company's basic plans could still be a good fit. Options range from 5 GB of 4G data with unlimited talk and text for around $55 a month to as low as $30 a month for basic phones with 500 MB of data for very simple tasks.

In the end, smartphones offer a lot of freedom and security, so they can be very beneficial in the right hands. However, a basic flip phone could be the perfect answer if you never plan to do anything more than make phone calls. Think about the features you want to use before making a phone decision and then choose the right carrier and plan from there.