US Baby Boomers, now age 61-79, amassed unprecedented retirement wealth, yet it wasn’t entirely due to their good planning skills, reports Wharton economist Prof. Olivia S. Mitchell. Rising productivity, increasing real earnings, and significant housing appreciation boosted their outcomes, while younger generations benefited far less from these forces.…Read More
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.…Read More
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.…Read More
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.…Read More
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.…Read More
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 security.…Read More
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.…Read More
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…Read More
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.…Read More
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.…Read More
