Olivia S. Mitchell to Receive CIO’s 2024 Lifetime Achievement Award

A person with short red hair and wearing glasses stands outdoors with arms crossed. They wear a blue top and jeans, and there is greenery and a bench in the background.

For groundbreaking research influencing public policy on pensions and highlighting the critical role of financial literacy, Olivia S. Mitchell, Wharton Professor and Director of the Pension Research Council at the University of Pennsylvania, will be honored with CIO’s 2024 Lifetime Achievement Award. — Via Chief Investment Officer.  Read More

ERISA Advisory Council Explores Annuity Default Options in DC Plans

A person is holding a red umbrella over a pink piggy bank, symbolizing financial protection or saving money.

At an ERISA Advisory Council hearing for the Dept. of Labor, experts recommended including annuities in defined contribution plans to hedge against longevity risk. Olivia S. Mitchell, a Wharton School professor, supported a default annuity structure that begins payments later in life to simplify financial decisions for older participants.Read More

How Annuities Can Enhance Retirement

A torn piece of paper revealing part of a Benjamin Franklin portrait from a US hundred-dollar bill. Text reads "How Annuities Can Enhance Retirement," with "News from the Pension Research Council" in the corner.

In a research paper (Jan. 2023), co-authors Vanya Horneff and Raimond Maurer from Goethe University at Frankfurt, and Olivia S. Mitchell from Wharton underscore the value of integrating deferred income annuities into retirement plans. Their study suggests that waiting until age 70 for Social Security benefits, alongside the SECURE 2.0 Act’s emphasis on annuities, can significantly enhance retirement welfare. This highlights a valuable strategy for retirees to optimize their benefits and improve financial security. Read More