For the past three decades, there has been a significant movement away from defined benefit pension plans in the private sector toward greater use of defined contribution plans, especially 401(k) plans. In contrast, retirement plans in the public sector remain primarily defined benefit plans....

We use data on five hundred 401(k) pension plans to evaluate how employer matching incentives influence retirement saving. Company matches prove to have a small effect on participation and saving rates; only one in ten non–highly compensated workers joins the plan because of employer match...

This paper explores the current tax treatment of non-qualified immediate annuities and distributions from tax-qualified retirement plans in the United States. First, we describe how immediate annuities held outside retirement accounts are taxed. We conclude that the current income tax treatment...