Daily headlines warn American workers that their retirement years may be far from golden. The main components of the retirement income system—Social Security and employer-provided pensions and health insurance—are in decline while the amount of income needed for a comfortable retirement continues to rise.
 In Working Longer, Alicia Munnell and Steven Sass suggest a simple solution to this problem: postponing retirement by two to four years. By following their advice, the average worker retiring in 2030 can be as well off as today's retirees. Implementing this solution on a national scale, however, may not be simple.
 Working Longer investigates the prospects for moving the average retirement age from 63, the current figure, to 66. Munnell and Sass ask whether future generations will be healthy enough to work beyond the current retirement age and whether older men and women want to work. They examine companies' incentives to employ older works and ask what government can do to promote continued participation in the workforce. Finally, they consider the challenge of ensuring a secure retirement for low-wage workers and those who are unable to continue to work.
 The retirement system faces very real challenges. But together, workers, employers, and the government can keep this vital piece of the American dream alive.

Working Longer: The Solution to the Retirement Income Challenge

Business & Money

Munnell, Alicia H.

Sass, Steven A.

Economics

Brookings Institution Press

Daily headlines warn American workers that their retirement years may be far from golden. The main components of the retirement income system —Social Security and employer-provided pensions and health insurance —are in decline while the amount of income needed for a comfortable retirement continues to rise.
In Working Longer, Alicia Munnell and Steven Sass suggest a simple solution to this problem: postponing retirement by two to four years. By following their advice, the average worker retiring in 2030 can be as well off as today's retirees. Implementing this solution on a national scale, however, may not be simple.
 Working Longer investigates the prospects for moving the average retirement age from 63, the current figure, to 66. Munnell and Sass ask whether future generations will be healthy enough to work beyond the current retirement age and whether older men and women want to work. They examine companies' incentives to employ older works and ask what government can do to promote continued participation in the workforce. Finally, they consider the challenge of ensuring a secure retirement for low-wage workers and those who are unable to continue to work.
The retirement system faces very real challenges. But together, workers, employers, and the government can keep this vital piece of the American dream alive.

Social Security and the Stock Market: How the Pursuit of Market Magic Shapes the System

Investing

W E Upjohn Inst for

The U.S. retirement income system faces an enormous challenge as the Baby Boom generation nears retirement age. Social Security faces a long-term shortfall, defined benefit plans have become few and far between, and 401 (k) plans have failed to yield the accumulations that many people thought they would. How will future retirees get by? Many observers suggest that equities would help solve this problem. In this book from the Upjohn Institute, Alicia H. Munnell and Steven A. Sass explore the use of equities as a means of solving Social Security's financing problems. While including equities in some form promises the potential for higher yields that could keep the system afloat, the use of equities also poses a host of challenges that could dramatically alter the structure of Social Security. Munnell and Sass identify these challenges and their implications for the U.S. retirement income system. They base their findings on experiences that three nations (the UK, Australia, and Canada) have had with the use of equities as part of their retirement systems and point out the successes and setbacks that occurred in each country as a result. Overall, this highly readable book will appeal to anyone looking for answers to the financing problems facing Social Security and the rest of the U.S. retirement income system.

Politics & Social Sciences

Politics & Government

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Books by Sass, Steven A.