JTF#6  

Introduction 

Policymakers have focused considerable attention on alternative ways of eliminating Social Security’s 75-year financing gap, but lost in the debate is the fact that even under current law Social Security will provide less retirement income relative to previous earnings than it does today. Combine the already legislated reductions with potential cuts due to closing the financing gap, and Social Security may no longer be the mainstay of the retirement system for many people. Recognizing the declining role of Social Security is important because future retirees will need to find alternative income sources as they age...

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Alicia H. Munnell is the Director of the Center for Retirement Research at Boston College and the Peter F. Drucker Professor of Management Sciences at Boston College’s Carroll School of Management.