AARP: Policy and Research Information for Professionals in Aging

Search Policy & Research

Advanced Search

Email Newsletter

Get updates on Policy & Research by email.

Individual Retirement Accounts (IRA)

Automatic IRAs: Worker Attitudes and Likelihood of Participation  / Research Report
August 2007— Do workers who would be affected by Automatic IRA legislation support the idea? Of 700 age 25+ employees responding to this 2007 Internet-based AARP survey, 71 percent favor the concept and 79 percent say they are likely to participate in an Individual Retirement Account through a regular payroll deduction. (15 pages)

Automatic IRAs: Are They Administratively Feasible, What Are The Costs To Employers And The Federal Government, And Will They Increase Retirement Savings?  / Research Report
March 2007— The Automatic Individual Retirement Arrangement (IRA) is designed to encourage retirement saving by employees not eligible for any employer-based retirement plan by requiring their employers to enroll them automatically in a payroll-deduction IRA. This 2007 AARP study examines the feasibility of implementing such a program, exploring broad policy and technical issues, potential effects on retirement savings, and tax implications. (88 pages)

Designing 401(k) Plans That Encourage Retirement Savings: Lessons From Behavioral Finance  / Research Report
April 2006— A weakness of the voluntary pension system is that many individuals make poor choices. In this AARP Public Policy Institute Issue Brief, John Turner explains how behavioral finance theorists have used their insight into worker inertia and procrastination to propose solutions that preserve employee choice while achieving better long-run outcomes for many workers. (19 pages) (Publication ID: IB80)

Older Workers' Pension Plan and IRA Coverage  / Research Report
October 2003— The retirement plan coverage of age 55+ workers is analyzed in this AARP Public Policy Institute Data Digest by Jules Lichtenstein and Satyendra Verma who find that nearly a third lack any type of pension coverage or an IRA in their own name and will have to rely solely on Social Security and possibly other forms of savings. (4 pages) (Publication ID: DD91)

Pension and IRA Coverage Among Boomer, Pre-Boomer, and Older Workers  / Research Report
February 2000— This AARP Public Policy Institute Issue Paper by Jules Lichtenstein and Ke Bin Wu explores the retirement plan coverage of workers by age group on different jobs during a career, the type of plan in which a worker participates including 401(k)s and IRAs, and the special circumstances facing women, minorities and low-income groups. (19 pages) (Publication ID: 2000-03)