When average Americans confront the complicated problem of how much to save for retirement, they often use so-called “rules of thumb,” or greatly-simplified approaches, to figure out how much to save and how to invest. It turns out that many of the computer programs created to help with retirement income planning do exactly the same thing: use rules of thumb.…Read More
social security
Here’s How to Get More People to Delay Claiming Social Security
By: Olivia S. Mitchell Olivia S. Mitchell (@OS_Mitchell) is a professor of business economics/policy and insurance/risk management at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, where she focuses on pensions, household finance, retirement, and risk management. Global aging paired with pension shortfalls have led many governments to raise retirement…Read More
Is Social Security Really Running Short?
Social Security is a pay-as-you-go system, since payroll taxes collected from today’s workers mostly go to pay today’s retirees. But as the U.S. population ages, fewer young workers are paying into the system relative to rising numbers of ever-longer-lived retirees drawing benefits, according to this opinion piece by Olivia S. Mitchell, a Wharton professor of business economics and public policy, and also insurance and risk management.…Read More
What You Need To Know About Social Security Benefits Claiming
The Bipartisan Budget Act of 2015, signed into law on November 2, brought with it changes that will likely impact the retirement plans of many married couples by eliminating two Social Security claiming strategies that had been gaining in popularity in recent years.…Read More
What The U.S. Can Learn From Chile’s Retirement System
Chile provides a safety net for those who fall into poverty in old age, but it’s still an imperfect pension system that needs work.
Pay-as-you-go (PAYG) retirement programs in the U.S. and many European countries are struggling to remain solvent in the face of an aging population, fewer workers, and a shortfall in private savings. A different approach would strengthen individual savings accounts by requiring workers to contribute out of pre-tax income, combined with a redistributive means-tested safety net for those who fall into poverty in old age.…Read More
Chile’s Fabled Retirement System: Why Fix It?
Since its launch 35 years ago, Chile’s retirement system has been hailed as “best in class” by pension experts near and far. The country’s fabled individual and privately-managed accounts include around 10 million affiliates, hold $160 billion in investments, and pay retirement benefits to over a million retirees. So why did President Michelle Bachelet establish a Pension Reform Commission that just delivered to her 58 specific reforms and three comprehensive proposals to overhaul remodel Chile’s retirement system?…Read More
DOL Rule Aside, Annuity Market Will Have To Change to Achieve Relevance
With an aging population and a declining portion of Americans who are covered by a pension, the annuity market should be stepping in to fill the gap. But the reality is much different. Luckily, technology is making annuities easier for insurers to sell and a better value for consumers.…Read More
What’s Wrong With Our Retirement System & What We Can Do About It
As the Baby Boom moves into retirement, confidence in our retirement system is waning, for good reason. Plan sponsors, including public and private employers, are rapidly freezing their defined benefit plans—those that promise a guaranteed level of income in retirement—by closing the plans to new hires or stopping current employees from earning additional benefits.…Read More
Key Retirement Concerns And 7 Planning Tips For Women
Retirement planning is extremely important for women, and ideally it should consider the big picture including financial resources, the family’s situation, risks, and employment. Nevertheless, many women are more focused on meeting their families’ current needs than on their longer-term futures. This article looks at how family issues can shape women’s retirement plans and examines issues and planning steps that might otherwise be overlooked.…Read More