Pathways to Financial Well-being: Patience, Confidence, Financial Literacy, and Health

A small group of professionals collaborating at a table, reviewing charts and graphs on paper and a laptop in a well-lit office.

What drives financial well-being across different measures and life outcomes? Through their research, Professors Coats and Bajtelsmit find that income, financial confidence, financial literacy, and patience play a central role in shaping how people save, plan, and build wealth. Their findings suggest that financial advisers and educators can improve outcomes by implementing several practical points.Read More

Income Floors For Retirement Longevity

Illustration depicting financial security. It shows "Income Floor" with elements like guaranteed income through a building, social security, and investments and savings represented by stacked coins and an upward arrow.

Wharton professor Olivia S. Mitchell explains that many retirees underspend because they fear running out of money. That fear can be eased by securing guaranteed lifetime income, such as through lifetime annuities. When retirees know their basics are covered and how much they can safely spend, they feel confident enjoying life without worrying about running out of money.Read More

The Annuities Appeal

A group of people attending a seminar or meeting focused on annuities, with a presenter in front of a whiteboard displaying charts and text.

Should annuities be a default option in retirement plans? Retirees remain divided, even as Wharton Professor Olivia S. Mitchell’s new research highlights annuities’ potential to provide lifetime income and retirement security. In her recent follow-up article for the WSJ, she addresses readers’ concerns about cost, flexibility, and overall appeal.Read More

The Determinants Behind Boomer Prosperity

A group of smiling older adults standing outdoors in a line, enjoying a sunny day. They appear to be in a park or natural setting.

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

Saving For Real Retirement Security

A pencil labeled "Annuities" erases the word "Risk," symbolizing reducing risk through annuities.

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

Social Security, Safeguards, and the Urgency of Reform

Illustration of two people under an umbrella labeled "Protections" shielding them from rain, with "Risk" and "Cuts" in the background.

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