What’s New in Retirement Research

Millennials, longevity, Americans’ retirement outlook – these are among the topics economists tackle in five interesting research briefs.

Links to each brief below appear at the end of their titles. (Full disclosure: the researchers are at the Center for Retirement Research at Boston College, which funds this blog.)

• “Will Millennials Be Ready for Retirement?” – They are the most educated generation. Yet they lag previous generations of young adults in their retirement preparedness. Student loan debt is one big reason.
• “National Retirement Risk Index Shows Modest Improvement in 2016” – Rising house prices boosted individuals’ wealth, modestly improving our retirement outlook. But, again, Millennials face significant headwinds.
• “Is Working Longer a Good Prescription for All? – Most households’ retirement plans would benefit from working longer, saving more, and delaying Social Security. Low-income and less-educated workers with the most to gain financially, however, have fewer job options for postponing retirement.
• “Why Has U.S. Life Expectancy Fallen Below Other Countries?” – Obesity and smoking have long been known as key impediments to higher longevity. This study finds that obesity will present a greater future challenge than smoking.
• “How Do Prescription Drugs Affect the Use of Other Health Services?” – Twelve years after Congress passed Medicare’s Part D drug coverage, the elderly visit their doctors more often to monitor their drug use but possibly use less inpatient care.

The center publishes a research brief every two weeks. To sign up for emails with the newest one, check the “main list” box.

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