Tag: Current Population Survey (CPS)

elderly man inserting credit card to ATM

Abstract Recent research by Bee and Mitchell (2017) has refocused attention on the fact that the Current Population Survey (CPS) underestimates retirement income.  In the wake of this study, some observers have questioned whether other surveys more frequently used by retirement researchers also understate retirement income and, if so, whether prior research suggesting that many…

Senior woman doing finances at home

The brief’s key findings are: Some claim that retirees are better off than many think, because Census’s Current Population Survey (CPS) does not capture most 401(k)/IRA income. Indeed, the CPS dramatically under-reports 401(k)/IRA income, a serious problem given the shift from defined benefit to defined contribution plans. Interestingly, though, the problem is largely concentrated among upper-income households, whic…