Will Millennials Be Ready for Retirement?
The brief’s key findings are: Millennials – despite high education levels – are behind previous cohorts on many indicators that help boost retirement preparedness. Having entered the labor market in...
View ArticleHow Does Divorce Affect Retirement Security?
The brief’s key findings are: While the divorce rate is no longer rising, about 40 percent of marriages still end in divorce. The financial costs can be high: a divorcing couple pays legal fees, may...
View ArticleHow Have Automation and Trade Affected the Taxable Share of Covered Earnings?
Abstract Over the past few decades, U.S. income inequality has grown, with high earners experiencing disproportionate growth. This pattern has increased the top earners’ share of national income and...
View ArticleTrends in Retirement Security by Race/Ethnicity
The brief’s key findings are: The earnings and wealth gaps between whites and minorities are enormous. The question is how these disparities translate to retirement preparedness. In 2016, the share of...
View ArticleDo Individuals Know When They Should Be Saving for a Spouse?
The brief’s key findings are: The retirement savings a household needs depends on its total earnings. For many dual-earners, only one person has a 401(k), so the question is whether the saver considers...
View ArticleDo People Save More After They Marry?
The brief’s key findings are: The question is whether people getting married later has any effect on retirement saving. The analysis focuses on individuals’ contributions to a 401(k) plan before and...
View ArticleThe Implications of Social Security’s “Missing Trust Fund”
The brief’s key findings are: As policymakers consider restoring balance to Social Security, understanding the reason for the shortfall is important. Specifically, the program’s “pay-as-you-go”...
View ArticleWomen, Marriage, and the National Retirement Risk Index
The brief’s key findings are: Women are spending a growing share of their lives single, so it is useful to consider how their marital history affects their retirement preparedness. While married women...
View ArticleHow Would More Saving Affect the National Retirement Risk Index?
The brief’s key findings are: 50 percent of working-age households are at risk of falling short in retirement. The question is how much would additional retirement saving improve the picture? The...
View ArticleHow Best to Annuitize Defined Contribution Assets?
Abstract Unlike defined benefit pensions that provide participants with steady benefits for as long as they live, 401(k) plans and Individual Retirement Accounts (IRAs) provide little guidance on how...
View ArticleParticipation and Leakages in Oregon’s Auto-IRA
Abstract About half of private sector workers in the United States do not participate in an employer-sponsored retirement plan at their current job. To fill the gap, a number of state governments...
View ArticleHow Big Is the Government Subsidy for Medicare Part D?
The brief’s key findings are: Medicare Part D provides access to prescription drug coverage for seniors and reduces their cost burden by subsidizing premiums and contributing to cost-sharing. The...
View ArticleMeasuring Racial/Ethnic Retirement Wealth Inequality
Abstract As the U.S. population becomes more diverse, it will be increasingly important for policymakers addressing Social Security’s solvency to understand how reliant various racial and ethnic groups...
View ArticleAre Homeownership Patterns Stable Enough to Tap Home Equity?
Abstract As retirees live longer, spend more on medical care, and get less income replaced by Social Security, many may need to tap their home equity to be comfortable in retirement. The most direct...
View ArticleSocial Security Is a Great Equalizer
The brief’s key findings are: As the U.S. grows more diverse, it is important to understand how much Social Security affects the relative economic status of retirees by race/ethnicity. This analysis...
View ArticleAre Homeownership Patterns Stable Enough to Tap Home Equity?
The brief’s key findings are: For a comfortable retirement, many households may need to tap their home equity but, currently, few take out a reverse mortgage or defer their property taxes. One reason...
View ArticleWhy Do Late Boomers Have So Little Retirement Wealth?
The brief’s key findings are: With the gradual shift from defined benefit plans to 401(k)s, younger age cohorts would be expected to have more retirement wealth in 401(k)s. However, data for the Late...
View ArticleHow Widespread Unemployment Might Affect Retirement Security
The brief’s key findings are: Before the virus, half of households were at risk of falling short in retirement. The virus-related surge in unemployment has likely increased the share of households at...
View ArticleHow Accurate Are Retirees’ Assessments of Their Retirement Risk?
Abstract Retirees with limited financial resources face numerous risks, including out-living their money (longevity risk), investment losses (market risk), unexpected health expenses (health risk), the...
View ArticleHow Best to Annuitize Defined Contribution Assets?
The brief’s key findings are: In a 401(k) world, retirees face the tough job of having to figure out how to draw down their nest egg once they retire. They have shunned the standard options: an...
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