Individual account retirement plans, such as 401(k) plans and individual retirement accounts (IRAs), have grown to be the predominant source of retirement assets for private-sector workers, and are becoming increasingly important for public-sector workers as well. Tracking the percentage of...

Using Survey of Income and Program Participation (SIPP) data from the U.S. Census Bureau, characteristics of individual retirement account (IRA) owners ages 21 and over are examined. Approximately, 16 percent of Americans ages 21 and over owned an IRA early in 1997, with an average balance of...

The two main savings vehicles designed for accumulating assets for retirement are individual retirement accounts (IRAs) and employment-based retirement savings plans such as 401(k) plans. This paper examines the ownership of IRAs (in aggregate, but not by type) and 401(k)-type plans by Americans...