Older Americans' Reliance on Assets (Article/Opportunity and Ownership Facts)Author(s): Barbara ButricaPeople think of retirement security as balancing on a three-legged stool, with income from assets, private pensions, and Social Security as the legs. However, despite growing awareness about the importance of saving for retirement, many elderly people cannot rely on their financial assets. According to data from the 2004 Health and Retirement Study, lower-income adults age 65 and older rely less on income from assets and traditional defined-benefit pensions than their higher-income counterparts. Instead, older adults with lower income rely primarily on Social Security and public transfers for their retirement security.
| Posted: March 18, 2008 | Availability: HTML | PDF |
Typical Wealth Held by Those at the Verge of Retirement (Article/Opportunity and Ownership Facts)Author(s): Gordon MerminA great way to assess how well adults have accumulated wealth is to look at their finances in the years shortly before they retire. We show wealth among households with an adult age 57–61 in 2004, using the Health and Retirement Study. This wealth snapshot highlights the extraordinary importance of Social Security, traditional pensions, and owner-occupied housing for typical near-retiree households today, which together comprise nearly four-fifths of wealth for middle quintile households on the verge of retirement.
| Posted: February 22, 2008 | Availability: HTML | PDF |
Are Employers Willing to Hire and Retain Older Workers? (Fact Sheet / Data at a Glance)Author(s): Gordon MerminOlder adults' employment is attracting attention as many baby boomers approach traditional retirement ages. This fact sheet examines employers' current attitudes toward older workers and the likely future demand for their services.
| Posted: December 07, 2007 | Availability: HTML | PDF |
Should People Work Longer, and Will They? (Fact Sheet / Data at a Glance)Author(s): Richard W. JohnsonOlder adults' employment is attracting attention as many baby boomers approach traditional retirement ages. This fact sheet examines the benefits of working longer, the characteristics of today's older workers, and recent changes in older Americans' labor supply.
| Posted: December 07, 2007 | Availability: HTML | PDF |
Five Questions With Melissa Favreault (Five Questions)Author(s): Melissa FavreaultMelissa Favreault, a senior research associate at the UI's Income and Benefits Policy Center, explores ways that Social Security might reduce poverty among the vulnerable elderly without passing on the costs to our children and grandchildren.
| Posted: January 12, 2007 | Availability: HTML |
