Pension Research Council News

Women’s financial knowledge and confidence are quite low, with Black and Hispanic women particularly poorly served by one-size-fits-all financial education programs. Better-targeted programs that take their particular needs and circumstances into account would help, explains Wharton Prof. Olivia S. Mitchell in the Wharton Social Impact Faculty Spotlight. Read More

The TIAA Institute is partnering with the Wharton School’s Boettner Center/Pension Research Council at the University of Pennsylvania to solicit research proposals focused on financial wellness and behavioral finance. Read More

Changes to the RMD age affect mostly households with bequest motives, so financial institutions should consider their clients’ intentions before advising them on RMD strategies. A research review of work by Wharton Prof. Olivia S. Mitchell, cited in PlanSponsor. Original paper by Horneff, Maurer, and Mitchell entitled “Do Required Minimum Distribution 401(k) Rules Matter, and For ...Read More

Workplace-sponsored financial education programs, as well as programs targeted to the specific circumstances of Black and Hispanic women, would boost financial literacy far more than a one-size-fits-all approach, explains Wharton Prof. Olivia S. Mitchell to Julie Stich of IFEBP. Paper here: Financial Well-being among Black and Hispanic Women Read More

Financially literate older Americans are less likely to carry excessive debt, as per Wharton Prof. Olivia S. Mitchell, Prof. Annamaria Lusardi of the George Washington University, and Noemi Oggero of the University of Turin, in a report spotlighted by NBER. Read More

Early 401(k) withdrawals can drastically reduce retirement assets; if need be, borrowing from a retirement account can be a safer option, explains Wharton Prof. Olivia S. Mitchell. Via Knowledge@Wharton. Read More