RESEARCH AND COMMENTARY
Douglas J. Elliott, November 13, 2009, The Brookings Institution
The Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation (PBGC), which protects the pensions of 44 million workers, announced a $22 billion deficit for fiscal year ending September 2009. Douglas Elliott analyzes the three main reasons for the PBGC’s financial troubles, and cautions that there are serious structural problems within PBGC that cannot be blamed on the financial crisis. Read More
VIDEO
Douglas J. Elliott, July 27, 2009
The Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation ensures the retirement funds of nearly 44 million American workers and retirees, and now plans to assume responsibility for the pension plans of 70,000 GM workers. Lawmakers are concerned about PBGC's growing deficit, which has tripled to roughly $33.5 billion in six months. Douglas Elliott says they have good reason to be worried, given the current economy.
PAST EVENT
Thursday, July 16, 2009
10:00 AM to 12:00 PM
Washington, DC
On July 16, the Retirement Security Project and the Urban-Brookings Tax Policy Center hosted Australian Assistant Treasurer Nick Sherry, to discuss the Superannuation Guarantee- Australia's mandatory retirement savings system- and its relevance to American policy-makers. Read More
PAST EVENT
Friday, March 27, 2009
9:00 AM to 11:30 AM
Washington, DC
Thirty years of policies favoring private industry and the privatization of shared risks have rewritten the economic rules of the road for all Americans and complicated the task of planning for retirement. On March 27, the Brookings Institution and the Social Science Research Council (SSRC) hosted a forum exploring the effects of privatization on pension security and the ability of Americans to plan for old age. Read More
RESEARCH AND COMMENTARY
Henry J. Aaron, January 29, 2009, The Fiscal High Road
Despite criticism of the Social Security Act, and it's application to twenty fist century America, Henry Aaron believes that those views are wrong. In broad outline, he says, the system is sound, sensibly designed, and affordable though some changes are now desirable, and that others will, and should, be made as economic and political conditions warrant. But he urges, they should affirm and strengthen the system, not scale it back or repeal it. Read More
RESEARCH AND COMMENTARY
J. Mark Iwry and David C. John, July 16, 2008, Senate Special Committee on Aging
Fully half of America’s working families lack any employer-sponsored retirement savings plan. Testifying before a Senate panel, J. Mark Iwry and David C. John called for a common strategy to preserve and expand retirement savings in a manner that transcends partisan differences, an approach that includes preserving employer-sponsored retirement plans and broadening participation and coverage options. Read More
RESEARCH AND COMMENTARY
J. Mark Iwry, June 26, 2008, House Committee on Ways and Means, Subcommittee on Select Revenue Measures
J. Mark Iwry and David C. John propose an automatic IRA approach which offers most employees not covered by an employee-sponsored retirement plan the opportunity to save through the powerful mechanism of regular payroll deposits that continue automatically. Read More
PAST EVENT
Thursday, June 05, 2008
9:30 AM to 12:00 PM
Washington, DC
Hurricanes, retirement, home-buying and tax-base erosion all pose financial risks. Yet markets to reduce these risks are elusive. The Hamilton Project at Brookings released papers at a discussion on how sound public policy can play a critical role in helping to foster new markets or expand existing markets in ways that could provide widely shared benefits. Read More
RESEARCH AND COMMENTARY
William G. Gale, J. Mark Iwry, David C. John and Lina Walker, June 05, 2008, Hamilton Project Discussion Paper
Despite their many benefits, the take-up rate for annuities is currently low because of behavioral biases and market failures. In this paper, William Gale, J. Mark Iwry, David John and Lina Walker propose a two-year trial to allow retirees to experience the consistency, security, and simplicity of the lifetime income stream guaranteed by annuities. Read More
RESEARCH AND COMMENTARY
Alice M. Rivlin, January 16, 2008, D.C. City Council Committee on Housing and Urban Affairs
In testimony before the D.C. City Council Committee on Housing and Urban Affairs, Alice M. Rivlin presents recommendations for reducing poverty in the District. She gives examples of education and training programs that could be funded in the FY2009 budget and reviews longer-term workforce development strategies. Read More
RESEARCH AND COMMENTARY
J. Mark Iwry, November 08, 2007, House Committee on Education and Labor
Nearly half of American workers have no employer-sponsored saving plan. Mark Iwry testified before a congressional panel about a strategy to promote saving for families and the nation. "The Automatic IRA is a disarmingly simple concept," said Iwry. Read More
RESEARCH AND COMMENTARY
Barry P. Bosworth and Gary Burtless, January 01, 2004, Center for Retirement Research at Boston College
Paper by Barry Bosworth and Gary Burtless, Center for Retirement Research at Boston College (January 2004) Read More
RESEARCH AND COMMENTARY
Barry P. Bosworth and Gary Burtless, February 01, 2003, 5th International Forum of the Collaboration Projects, Economic and Social Research Institute
A paper by Barry P. Bosworth and Gary Burtless ((1/29/2003) Read More
RESEARCH AND COMMENTARY
Barry P. Bosworth, Claudia Sahm and Gary Burtless, August 01, 2000, The Brookings Institution
A paper by Barry Bosworth, Gary Burtless, and Claudia Sahm (8/22/2000) Read More