This paper extrapolates from data from the 2004 Survey of Consumer Finance to project household wealth, by wealth quintile, for the cohort that will be between the ages of 45-54 in 2009 under three alternative scenarios. The first scenario assumes that real house prices fall no further than...

This report looks at available data on economic growth and various social indicators - including health outcomes and education - in low- and middle-income countries over the last 25 years.

This paper compares the current economic recovery - post-2001 recession up to mid-2005 - with its performance in the prior four economic recoveries. It examines how weak job growth has affected older versus younger workers, and how the impact has differed between men and women.

Representative Paul Ryan's proposed 2012 budget has been lauded as a path to prosperity, with much attetion given to his overhaul of the medicare system. Using data from the CBO analysis of the Ryan plan, this issue brief demonstrates that any savings to the government under the revamped...

Representative Ryan’s proposal to replace the current Medicare systemwith a system of vouchers or premium supports has been widely described as shifting costs from the government to beneficiaries. However, the size of this shift is actually small relative to the projected increase in costs...

This paper covers seven key points about the national debt, budget and trade deficits, and the dollar that the public needs to understand in order to be well-informed and prepared to choose among various policy options.

Social Security has made it possible for the vast majority of workers to enjoy a period of retirement in at least modest comfort without relying on their children for support. The average length of retirement has increased consistently since the program was started in 1937. However, the increase...

This paper presents data on the wealth of households by age cohort based on new data from the 2013 Survey of Consumer Finances (SCF). It shows that the upward redistribution of wealth continued between 2010 and 2013. As a result, most households had less wealth in 2013 than they did in 2010 and...

This paper calculated rates of return for wage earners corresponding to Social Security Administration's definition of low-, medium-, high- and maximum-earners. It finds that the "progressive indexation" proposal endorsed by President Bush would reduce the rate of returns that most workers would...

This brief paper presents data and a chart depicting the growing divide between home prices and rental prices over the last 50 years.