Knowledge@Wharton Podcast
Happy Giving Tuesday!
Giving Tuesday is December 2nd! It’s a global day dedicated to supporting positive impact and strengthening communities. We look forward to sharing how you can support the Pension Research Council’s mission.
Giving Tuesday 2025
Giving Tuesday is December 2nd! It’s a global day dedicated to supporting positive impact and strengthening communities. We look forward to sharing how you can support the Pension Research Council’s mission.
The Health & Finance Literacy Gap
New research from Wharton’s Pension Research Council shows that both financial and health literacy decline with age. Notably, women’s literacy scores start lower, widening a growing vulnerability. Led by Prof. Olivia S. Mitchell, the study calls for intervention in education and plan design.
Funding Long-Term Care With Annuities
A new study by Olivia S. Mitchell and colleagues confirms that annuities still make sense for retirees facing rising long term care costs. The authors find that guaranteed lifetime income, especially from deferred or variable annuities, can help protect people with higher longevity risk.
Saving For Real Retirement Security
Over the past two decades, employers have helped workers save for retirement through automatic 401(k) enrollment and target-date funds. But few help them spend wisely in retirement. Professor Olivia S Mitchell proposes that legislators make annuities the default option in 401(k)s, giving retirees steady income for life. It’s a smart, equitable step toward real retirement ...
Social Security, Safeguards, and the Urgency of Reform
Trump-era policy shifts pose new risks to Americans’ retirement security. Yet, as Wharton Prof. Olivia S. Mitchell warns, retirees already depend heavily on Social Security and investment safeguards – making it more critical to plan ahead and push for reforms before protections weaken further.
Younger Generations Face Longer Careers as Social Security Strains
Younger generations are likely to need to work longer than did their parents. Yet, as @Wharton Prof. Olivia S. Mitchell cautions, US retirees still rely heavily on Social Security benefits, making it all the more urgent to restore the system’s long-term solvency before benefits must be cut in 7 years
Fixing America’s Retirement System: The Case for a National Plan
The U.S. retirement system gets a grade of C+, so what can be done to improve it? Wharton Prof. Olivia S. Mitchell and others explain the appeal of a national defined contribution plan, paired with guaranteed lifetime incomes.
Time To Secure Retirement
How to avoid outliving your retirement savings? New research by Wharton Prof. Olivia S. Mitchell and co-authors shows that defaulting a portion of retirees’ 401(k) assets into annuities could boost their retirement security, especially for those who don’t understand the risk of outliving their assets.
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