Americans are saving less than they used to. At the same time, they are spending more years in retirement, and Social Security still has long-term financial shortfalls. The author finds that most American households must raise their saving rates considerably if they are to maintain their current...

An examination of the decline in the net national saving rate since the early 1980s, which identifies an ongoing, fiscally induced wealth redistribution toward older generations and a sizable gain in annuitized forms of saving as underlying reasons.

A look at how four trends in the U.S. economy -- high taxes, low savings rates, an aging population, and astronomically high health care costs -- could constrain Americans' living standards over the next few decades.

Some retirement plans allow the participant to choose how funds are invested. Having to direct investments may provide the participant with financial education. This paper finds that households covered by pension plans in which the employee chooses investments are significantly more apt to hold...

Because employer-provided pensions represent an important source of income during retirement, accurate information on pension coverage would seem to be crucial for making sound decisions on retirement timing, saving, and portfolio allocation. However, previous research suggests that workers'...

The enormous growth in both Social Security and private pension plans has stimulated much interest in the impact of these retirement programs on individual saving behavior and the level of national saving. The first issue is the extent to which employees covered by pension plans reduce their own...