A glass jar full of coins and plant growing through it with some coins and plant leaves.

Do Tax Incentives Increase 401(k) Retirement Saving? Evidence from the Adoption of Catch-Up Contributions

Working Paper by Matthew S. Rutledge, April Yanyuan Wu, and Francis M. Vitagliano

November 20, 2014

Abstract The U.S. government subsidizes retirement saving through 401(k) plans with $61.4 billion in tax expenditures annually, but the question of whether these tax incentives are effective in increasing saving remains unanswered. Using longitudinal U.S. Social Security Administration data on tax-deferred earnings linked to the Survey of Income and Program Participation, the project examines whether…

How Do the Disabled Cope While Waiting for SSDI?

Working Paper by Norma B. Coe, Stephan Lindner, Kendrew Wong, and April Yanyuan Wu

June 6, 2013

Abstract The wait time for a Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) award varies from a few months to several years. Little is known about how applicants fund their consumption during this period. Using the Survey of Income and Program Participation (SIPP) linked to the Social Security Administration’s 831 file, this study examines the use of…