Search Policy & Research

Advanced Search


From the Databases

Financial Planning...

On aarp.org

Email Newsletter

Get updates on Policy & Research by email.

Pensions

SHOW: Select document type to filter by

SORT BY: Date | Title

State Taxation of Social Security and Pensions in 2006  / Research Report
November 2007— State taxation of retirement income can add a significant amount to the total tax burden of older Americans. In this AARP Public Policy Institute Issue Brief, David Baer summarizes state personal income tax treatment of Social Security benefits and pension income for tax year 2006. (16 pages) (Publication ID: IB84)

The State of 50+ America 2007  / Research Report
January 2007— AARP’s fourth annual “report card” on the quality of life of age 50+ Americans finds them somewhat better off now than a few years ago, but there is still much room for improvement. The report examines changes in various economic, health, social and lifestyle indicators over the most recent year, as well as multi-year periods. (60 pages) (Publication ID: D18779)

In Brief: Mandatory Employer Pensions in Ireland, Germany, and the United Kingdom  / Research Report
January 2007— A succinct summary of the similarly titled AARP Public Policy Institute Issue Paper by Sophie Korczyk revealing lessons about expanding U.S. pension coverage to be learned from Irish, German and U.K. experiences in operating their new mandatory (on employers) 401(k)-type pension plans and comparing the plans’ features with those of American 401(k)s. (1 page) (Publication ID: INB134)

Mandatory Employer Pensions in Ireland, Germany, and the United Kingdom  / Research Report
January 2007— Features of the new mandatory (on employers) 401(k)-type pension plans in Germany, Ireland and the United Kingdom are compared with American 401(k) plans in this AARP Public Policy Institute Issue Paper by Sophie Korczyk. The study includes lessons to be learned from the three countries’ experiences that are applicable to expanding U.S. pension coverage. (30 pages) (Publication ID: 2007-03)

Retirement Plan Coverage of Boomers: Analysis of 2003 SIPP Data  / Research Report
August 2006— Retirement plan coverage of workers at their current jobs is analyzed in this AARP Public Policy Institute Data and Chart Book by Satyendra K. Verma which examines defined benefit, cash balance, and defined contribution pension plans. Also highlighted are retirement coverage from previous employment, lump-sum distributions, pension rollovers, and monthly pensions. (50 pages) (Publication ID: Chart Book)

Pensions in the UK: An Elusive Search for Consensus?  / Opinion
April 2006— MP Nigel Waterson, Shadow Pensions Minister, analyzes the aftermath of the final Report of Lord Adair Turner's Pension Commission and what it means for the UK.

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)

The Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation 2005 Fiscal Year Report: An Agency Facing Continuing Financial Challenges  / Research Report
April 2006— At the end of fiscal year 2005 (September 30, 2005), the PBGC’s single-employer insurance program had a deficit of $22.8 billion. Since then, this AARP Public Policy Institute Fact Sheet by John Turner finds, the financial situation of the PBGC has further deteriorated. (2 pages) (Publication ID: FS125)

Interview with the Honorable Francisco Gil Díaz  / News Release
February 2006— An interview with Secretary Francisco Gil Díaz of Mexico on the future labor, fiscal and social policy reforms that Mexico should make to ensure economic competitiveness and increased quality of life in the face of its aging population.

NGO Role in Advocating on Pensions  / Opinion
January 2006— Dr. Jane Barratt, Secretary General of the International Federation on Ageing highlights efforts by NGOs to convene senior officials to discuss key issues of pension design and pension reform facing governments.

Interview with Mr. Alan Pickering  / News Release
December 2005— In this Global Aging Program News Maker, Alan Pickering, Partner of Watson Wyatt Worldwide shares his reactions to the recently released UK Pensions Commission Report.

Old Age Income Support in the 21st Century: An International Perspective on Pension Systems and Reform  / Event
April 2006— AARP Global Aging Program Idea Exchange with Robert Holzmann, Director of the Social Protection & Labor Department of the Human Development Network of the World Bank

In Brief: Transition Provisions in Large Converted Cash Balance Pension Plans  / Research Report
October 2005— A succinct summary of the similarly titled AARP Public Policy Institute Issue Paper in which Daniel J. Beller examines the effects on older workers of conversions of large traditional defined benefit plans to cash balance pension plans. (2 pages) (Publication ID: INB103)

Transition Provisions in Large Converted Cash Balance Pension Plans  / Research Report
October 2005— Cash balance plan conversions have raised concerns about whether they discriminate against older workers, especially long-service older workers. This AARP Public Policy Institute Issue Paper by Daniel J. Beller investigates the effects on older workers of conversions of large traditional defined benefit plans to cash balance pension plans. (29 pages) (Publication ID: 2005-13)

Cash Balance Pension Plans and Older Workers  / Research Report
October 2005— Conversions to cash balance pension plans from traditional defined benefit plans can significantly reduce the pension benefits of older workers. Do these conversions discriminate against the older worker? In this AARP Public Policy Institute Issue Brief, Jules Lichtenstein and John Turner explore cash balance plans and their potential impact on older-worker benefits. (11 pages) (Publication ID: IB78)

Pension Issues in Japan  / Event
February 2006— AARP Global Aging Program Idea Exchange Noriyuki Takayama, professor of economics at Hitotsubashi University.

Retirement Plan Coverage of Baby Boomers: Analysis of 1998 SIPP Data  / Research Report
August 2005— How does the retirement coverage of baby boomers compare with that of other groups? Based on 1998 data, a detailed analysis of the retirement coverage of boomers (age 33 to 52 in 1998) and other workers is graphically presented in this AARP Public Policy Institute chartbook by Satyendra K. Verma. (79 pages) (Publication ID: Chartbook)

The UK Pension System and International Best Practice  / Opinion
July 2005— Robert Laslett, Chief Economist for Pensions of the UK Department of Work and Pensions discusses how the UK is performing by international standards, and at what is interesting in the international scene.

The Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation 2004 Annual Report: An Agency Facing Financial Challenges  / Research Report
June 2005— Some 44 million workers and retirees in 31,000 private defined benefit pension plans count on the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation (PBGC) to protect their pensions. In this AARP Public Policy Institute Fact Sheet, John Turner reviews the agency’s 2004 Annual Report and finds that the PBGC is facing the most significant financial challenges it has confronted in more than a decade. (2 pages) (Publication ID: FS117)

Problems Encountered with Private Accounts in the United Kingdom  / Research Report
February 2005— How private accounts that are similar in many ways to those proposed by President George W. Bush for Social Security reform have worked in the United Kingdom since their adoption in 1987 is discussed in this AARP Public Policy Institute Fact Sheet by John Turner. (2 pages) (Publication ID: FS106)

Fear Factor: The Shift of Retirement Risk to the Individual in the U.S.  / Opinion
November 2004— AARP Global Report on Aging article by Dallis Salisbury, President of Employee Benefits Research Institute (EBRI)

Defined Benefit Plans-- Still a Good Idea?  / Opinion
November 2004— AARP Global Report on Aging article by Anna Rappaport, a worldwide partner and Principal in the Chicago office of Mercer Human Resource Consulting and Don Fuerst

Beefed Up Pensions?  / Publication
April 2006— AARP Global Report on Aging article by Dalmer Hoskins, Secretary General of the International Social Security Association

Pension Participant Knowledge About Plan Fees  / Research Report
November 2004— Defined contribution plan participants pay billions of dollars annually in fees to fund managers for the management of their investments. In this AARP Public Policy Institute Data Digest, John Turner and Sophie Korczyk reveal survey results that provide insights into pension participants’ knowledge of the fees they pay for their 401(k) plans. (2 pages) (Publication ID: DD105)

International Trends in Public Pensions: Towards Strong Social Security Systems  / Opinion
September 2004— Dalmer Hoskins, ISSA Secretary General, argues "after more than a decade of pension reform, it is now becoming increasingly clear that adequacy of pension benefits has been neglected in the pursuit of financial sustainability."

AARP Letter Regarding House Hearing on Cash Balance Pension Plans  / News Release
July 2004— Michael W. Naylor, Director of Advocacy, writes to House Education and the Workforce Committee about cash balance pension plans.

Pension Coverage Lessons for the United States from Other Countries  / Research Report
February 2004— Despite efforts to increase participation in retirement income preparation, only half of American workers have pension coverage. In this AARP Public Policy Institute Issue Paper, Martin Rein of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and John Turner of PPI explore what the U.S. can learn from countries with higher pension coverage rates. (14 pages) (Publication ID: 2004-01)

AARP-WWIC Pension Reform Forum Proceedings  / Research Report
December 2003— These are the proceedings from the Public Pension Reform: Will Reforms Abroad Work In The U.S.? forum held on December 5, 2003 at AARP.

The New Old World Forum Series: Public Pension Reform  / Event
December 2003— This joint forum with the Woodrow Wilson International Center provides an overview of the reforms to public pensions in other countries.

The New Old World: Pension Reform - Experiences from Abroad  / Research Report
December 2003—

Retirement Plan Coverage and Saving Trends of Baby Boomer Cohorts by Sex: Analysis of the 1989 and 1998 SCF  / Research Report
November 2003— Recent changes in boomer pension and IRA coverage and personal saving levels are examined in this AARP Public Policy Institute Data Digest by Jules H. Lichtenstein and Ke Bin Wu. Based on 1989 and 1998 data from the Federal Reserve's Survey of Consumer Finances, the report focuses on differences between older and younger boomers as well as between women and men. (8 pages) (Publication ID: DD93)

Retirement Coverage of Women and Minorities: Analysis From SIPP 1998 Data  / Research Report
October 2003— Using the U.S. Census Bureau’s Survey of Income and Program Participation (SIPP) data, this AARP Public Policy Institute Data Digest by Satyendra Verma discusses current pension and overall retirement coverage of women (during their working careers) by marital status, race, and age. (4 pages) (Publication ID: DD92)

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)

Statement by AARP Federal Affairs Director David Certner in Response to the Bush Administration's Pension Funding Proposal  / News Release
July 2003— Statement by AARP Federal Affairs Director David Certner in Response to the Bush Administration's Pension Funding Proposal

Retirement Plan Coverage of Baby Boomers and Retired Workers: Analysis of 1998 SIPP Data  / Research Report
July 2003— Among boomer, pre-boomer, and presently retired workers, this AARP Public Policy Institute Issue Paper by Satyendra K. Verma and Jules H. Lichtenstein finds that women, non-whites, and low-income individuals are much less likely than their male, white, and higher income counterparts to have retirement plan coverage. (21 pages) (Publication ID: 2003-10)

Statement by AARP Director of Federal Affairs David Certner in Support of the Sanders-Miller Cash Balance Pension Legislation  / News Release
April 2003— Statement by AARP Director of Federal Affairs David Certner in Support of the Sanders-Miller Cash Balance Pension Legislation

Four Pathways to Pension Coverage  / Opinion
March 2003— John Turner, Senior Policy Advisor of AARP’s Public Policy Institute, lays out the different approaches to pension coverage among countries with well-developed pension systems.

Pension Portability -- Is This Europe's Future? An Analysis of the United States as a Test Case  / Research Report
March 2003— Pension portability is the ability of workers to change jobs without losing future pension benefits. In this AARP Public Policy Institute Issue Paper, John Turner describes how pension portability for job changers has been achieved in the United States, and compares its portability arrangements with those in Europe. (23 pages) (Publication ID: 2003-03)

Statement by AARP Federal Affairs Director David Certner in Opposition to Proposed Treasury Department Regulations on Cash Balance Pension Plans  / News Release
January 2003— Statement by AARP Federal Affairs Director David Certner in Opposition to Proposed Treasury Department Regulations on Cash Balance Pension Plans

State Taxation of Social Security and Pensions in 2000  / Research Report
November 2001— State taxation of retirement income can add a significant amount to the total tax burden of older Americans. In this AARP Public Policy Institute issue brief, David Baer summarizes personal income tax treatment of Social Security benefits and pension income for tax year 2000 by the 41 states and the District of Columbia that have a broad-based income tax. (15 pages) (Publication ID: IB55)

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)

The Impact of Pay Inequality, Occupational Segregation, and Lifetime Work Experience on the Retirement Income of Women and Minorities  / Research Report
September 1999— This AARP Public Policy Institute Issue Paper by Olivia S. Mitchell and John W. Phillips of the University of Pennsylvania and Phillip B. Levine of Wellesley College explores how much of the difference in projected retirement income between groups is represented by differences in earnings between working men and women, occupational segregation, and differences in labor market attachment. (53 pages) (Publication ID: 9910)

The Thrift Savings Plan for Federal Employees  / Research Report
July 1999— Because a number of the plans to reform Social Security include providing individuals with the opportunity to save and invest on their own, this AARP Public Policy Institute Issue Paper by Laurel Beedon examines the Thrift Savings Plan (TSP) designed for federal employees to determine whether the TSP is a viable model for an individual investment tier for Social Security. (29 pages) (Publication ID: 9909)

Social Security Reform: Pension Plan Integration with Social Security  / Fact Sheet
October 1998— This AARP Public Policy Institute Fact Sheet by Jules Lichtenstein describes different approaches to integrating employer-provided pension plans with Social Security and presents an example of each approach. (2 pages) (Publication ID: FS70)

Social Security Reform: The Thrift Savings Plan (TSP) for Federal Employees  / Research Report
July 1998— This AARP Public Policy Institute Issue Brief by Laurel Beedon profiles the TSP and includes tables detailing the programs returns, deferral rates and investment allocations. (6 pages) (Publication ID: IB33)