RetireSecure Blog

The Pension Research Council’s curated blog features insights from the industry’s leading professionals.
Views of our Guest Bloggers are theirs alone, and not of the Pension Research Council, the Wharton School, or the University of Pennsylvania.

Moving To The Next Step: Reboot, Rewire, Or Retire?

Many Boomers currently in their 50s, 60s, and 70s confront crucial decisions about the next steps for their careers and post-career activities. Some seek new conventional job opportunities; others want a new active life that follows a different script; and yet others choose a traditional retirement path.  While younger people often have well-established ideas about career planning, those of us in later life stages are often unclear about next steps.…Read More

Do Americans Participate Enough In Retirement Plans?

Recently some analysts have queried: why do so few Americans participate in their pension plans? For this purpose, the pension participation rates, or the fraction of employees who either contribute to a defined contribution (DC) plan or are covered by a defined benefit (DB) plan, is often used as a key performance metric for the U.S. voluntary employer plan system.…Read More

Three Cheers For Financial Literacy

Since 2000, the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) coordinated by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OEDC) has assessed the reading, math, and science knowledge of 15-year-olds around the world every three years.  More recently, since 2012, the program has also measured teen’s financial literacy. The latest findings just released by the OECDs provided small – but consequential – reasons for celebration.…Read More

How Can Family Fit Into Your Retirement Plans?

The extended family is an important part of retirement planning for many Americans.  Indeed, in the past, family members frequently helped fill in gaps when people grew older. Yet today, people increasingly reach their senior years with few — or no — family members who can help. I believe that family concerns are often given inadequate consideration in retirement planning, and this article offers some facts and ideas to consider.…Read More

Building A Better Retirement Nest Egg: Lessons From A Middle School Science Experiment

This spring, my son was given the popular “egg drop” science assignment. Several weeks before it was due, he discussed elaborate ideas and hoped that his egg would remain intact for extra credit. Yet, at the same time, the deadline was enough in the distant future that he felt no urgency to begin testing his ideas.…Read More