Mission

The Pension Research Council at the Wharton School is a research center at the University of Pennsylvania committed to generating knowledge and debate on key policy issues affecting pensions and other employee benefits. For more than 65 years, the Council has sponsored high-level analysis of private and public retirement security and related benefit plans around the world. Research projects and publications are motivated by the need to address the long-term issues that underlie contemporary concerns about retirement system structures and resiliency. Members seek to broaden understanding of the complex economic, financial, social, actuarial, and legal foundations for and impacts of privately and publicly-provided benefits. The Pension Research Council is a non-profit organization, and contributions to it are tax-deductible.

Conferences

The Pension Research Council hosts annual conferences, sponsors individual projects, and issues publications based on these activities. Conference subjects are proposed by Pension Research Council members who suggest topics of timely interest to the Advisory Board. Recent conferences have addressed the changing mix of defined contribution and defined benefit pensions, pension guarantees, benefits in the future workplace, and ways to improve pension security. At these conferences, all Members have an opportunity to chart new research directions and to offer commentary on Council activities. The Pension Research Council also offers limited funding to help bring high-quality research projects to fruition. Proposals from academics and other scholars are reviewed on an ongoing basis by the Advisory Board.

Support

The research program of the Pension Research Council is supported by annual contributions from Members as well as grants. Members are drawn from the plan sponsor community, benefits consulting firms, insurance firms, financial sector experts, and the general corporate world, united by a keen interest in the soundness of the employee benefits enterprise. Funding from the Ralph H. Blanchard Memorial Endowment established by the Mutual of America Life Insurance Company as well as The Boettner Center for Pensions and Retirement Research is instrumental in sponsoring faculty and student research as well as our publications series. Research grants are also solicited from government agencies, nonprofit foundations, and corporations.

Contact  Us

Pension Research Council
The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania
3620 Locust Walk, 3302 Steinberg Hall–Dietrich Hall
Philadelphia, PA 19104-6302
Tel: 215.898.7620 | Fax: 215.573.3418 | prc@wharton.upenn.edu
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