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Social Security Retirement Benefit Awards Hit All-Time High

Record numbers of older men and women began collecting Social Security benefits in 2009, as the boomers continued to age and the job market weakened. Social Security benefits provide an important safety net for unemployed older adults, but early claimants receive permanently reduced benefits, threatening their future economic well-being. Read more

Retirement Security and the Stock Market Crash

The 2008 stock market crash jeopardizes future retirement security for many Americans. If stocks remain depressed as after the 1974 crash, about one in five late boomers (born 1961-65) will see their retirement incomes drop 10 percent or more below what they would have received if the stock market had not crashed. Read more

Research Spotlight

Firms may increase 401(k) participation rates by automatically enrolling workers, but higher participation rates raise costs for employers that match employee plan contributions. Match rates are significantly lower for firms that automatically enroll eligible workers than for those that do not.