The brief’s key findings are: The COVID recession brought the economy to a halt, but households got robust government support and asset markets soared during 2020-2021. Overall, balance sheets showed some improvements during this period: high-wealth households saw rapid asset growth from the booming markets; and those in the middle got market gains and a boost from…
At any given time, only about half of U.S. private sector workers are covered by an employer-sponsored retirement plan. As a result, roughly one-third of households end up completely reliant on Social Security at retirement, while others move in and out of coverage throughout their careers and end up with only modest balances in a…
A common refrain among retirement researchers is that longer careers are the best way to ensure an adequate retirement. This refrain is often directed at the workers themselves – “you need to work longer!” And that message seems to have been getting…
For several years before the pandemic, everyone became complacent about an inflation rate hovering reliably around 2 percent. We were...
We know what we are dealing with, and can take steps to address it. The key metric used to summarize...
FEATURED
CLOSING THE COVERAGE GAP
By Andrew G. Biggs, Alicia H. Munnell and Anqi Chen
The brief’s key findings are: 401(k)s/IRAs have the potential to provide significant wealth. But a typical 60-year-old with a 401(k) in 2016 had less than $100,000 compared to a potential $360,000 in combined 401(k)/IRA assets. Four factors could explain this gap: the immaturity of the 401(k) system, the lack of universal coverage, leakages, and fees…
Associate Director of State & Local Research
Associate Director of State & Local Research Jean-Pierre Aubry is the associate director of state and local research at the Center for Retirement Research at Boston College. He oversees and conducts research and data collection, develops new analytic techniques for evaluating retirement benefits, and secures funding support. Aubry, who is recognized as a leading expert…
By Kim Blanton
With so many Americans in the dark about how to prepare for retirement, educating them about why it’s critical to save seems an obvious way to tackle this problem. But very few solid studies prove that financial education actually works. This field research should be counted as a positive result for a modest, low-cost financia…
The next Retirement and Disability Research Consortium Meeting will be held virtually on August 3-4, 2023. This free and public event showcases the latest in retirement and disability research from the nation’s top scholars.
CRR IN THE NEWS
MARKETPLACE
A surprising thing happened in the pandemic and its aftermath. Older workers left jobs in high numbers.
USA TODAY
A new survey explores an odd subgroup of American employees: Workers who aren’t enrolled in a 401(k), but who think they are.