AARP: Policy and Research Information for Professionals in Aging

Search Policy & Research

Advanced Search

Email Newsletter

Get updates on Policy & Research by email.

Social Security Benefits

Sources of Income for Women Age 65 and Older  / Research Report
November 2007— Without Social Security, half of all women over 65 would live in poverty, according to this Public Policy Institute Data Digest in which Ke Bin Wu analyzes the poverty rates of women age 65+ in the U.S. and the distribution by race/ethnic group of their income sources. (4 pages) (Publication ID: DD161)

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)

African Americans Age 65 and Older: Their Sources of Retirement Income in 2005  / Research Report
September 2007— This AARP Public Policy Institute Fact Sheet looks at sources of income for African Americans age 65+ and finds they rely on Social Security far more than retirees as a whole. Using data from the U.S. Census Bureau’s March 2006 Current Population Survey, PPI’s Ke Bin Wu analyzes the poverty rates and distribution of income sources by sex. (2 pages) (Publication ID: FS137)

Hispanics Age 65 and Older: Sources of Retirement Income in 2005  / Research Report
September 2007— This AARP Public Policy Institute Fact Sheet looks at sources of income for Hispanics age 65+ and finds they rely on Social Security far more than retirees as a whole. Using data from the U.S. Census Bureau’s March 2006 Current Population Survey, PPI’s Ke Bin Wu analyzes the poverty rates and distribution of each income source by sex. (2 pages) (Publication ID: FS135)

Minimum Benefits in Social Security  / Research Report
August 2006— Social Security’s redistributive features are examined in this AARP Public Policy Institute Issue Paper by Melissa M. Favreault, Gordon B. T. Mermin and C. Eugene Steuerle of the Urban Institute who discuss whether a minimum benefit may be a more equitable or efficient way to reduce need among the aged and disabled. (76 pages) (Publication ID: 2006-17)

An Update on the Experimental Consumer Price Index (CPI-E) for Older Americans  / Research Report
December 2005— Would the Social Security COLA (Cost of Living Allowance) adjustments be higher if they were linked to the Experimental Consumer Price Index (CPI-E)? Yes, but the CPI-E does not represent all Social Security recipients. In this Public Policy Institute Data Digest, Satyendra Verma compares the CPI-E, the CPI-W (the current COLA index) and the CPI-U. (4 pages) (Publication ID: DD132)

Women Age 65 and Older: Their Sources of Income  / Research Report
October 2005— Older women have fewer retirement income sources and are more likely to be poor than older men. This AARP Public Policy Institute Data Digest by Laurel Beedon and Ke Bin Wu charts and discusses the income sources and poverty status of women 65 and older. (4 pages) (Publication ID: DD126)

How Carve-Out Private Accounts Deal with Increases in Life Expectancy  / Research Report
July 2005— The ways that voluntary carve-out private accounts, as proposed by President Bush, deal with increased life expectancy are discussed in this AARP Public Policy Institute Fact Sheet by John Turner. An increase in life expectancy would reduce the annual benefit from the hypothetical account, but this reduction would be exactly offset by an increase in the traditional Social Security benefit. (2 pages) (Publication ID: FS121)

Social Security: Basic Data  / Fact Sheet
April 2005— Who receives Social Security benefits? How much do beneficiaries receive? Who pays for Social Security? What is the status of the Social Security trust funds? are among the questions answered in this updated AARP Public Policy Institute Fact Sheet by Laurel Beedon. (2 pages) (Publication ID: FS39R)

Sources of Income for Older Persons in 2002  / Research Report
November 2004— The sources from which age 65+ Americans derive their income are analyzed by Ke Bin Wu in this AARP Public Policy Institute Data Digest which reports the distribution of each income source by gender, race and personal income level among the older population. The data are from the U.S. Bureau of the Census's March Current Population Survey 2003. (6 pages) (Publication ID: DD104)

Hispanics 65 and Older: Sources of Retirement Income  / Research Report
November 2004— How age 65+ Hispanics’ income sources compare to that of other older Americans is examined in this AARP Public Policy Institute Fact Sheet by Laurel Beedon and Ke Bin Wu who find that they have fewer retirement income sources and twice the poverty rate of others in the same cohort, and that Social Security is relied upon by older Hispanics far more than by retirees as a whole. (2 pages) (Publication ID: FS101)

Older African Americans Depend on Social Security  / News Release
September 2004— The primary source of retirement income for African Americans is Social Security, according to a recent study.

Statement By AARP CEO William D. Novelli In Response To Fed Chairman Greenspan’s Proposal To Cut Future Social Security Benefits  / News Release
February 2004— AARP CEO Bill Novelli responds to Fed Chairman Greenspan’s proposal to cut future Social Security benefits.

Impact of the Social Security Retirement Earnings Test on 62-64-Year-Olds  / Research Report
December 2003— How would eliminating the Retirement Earnings Test for Social Security Benefits affect the total income of persons aged 62-64, both currently and in the future? In this AARP Public Policy Institute Issue Paper, Caroline Ratcliffe, Jillian Berk, Kevin Perese, and Eric Toder of the Urban Institute address this question and its implications. (50 pages) (Publication ID: 2003-15)

Social Security and Women: Some Facts  / Fact Sheet
October 2003— More than 90 percent of American women receive Social Security benefits in old age. In this AARP Public Policy Institute Fact Sheet, Sara Rix and Laurel Beedon provide data on female beneficiaries and tell why Social Security is particularly important and valuable to women. (2 pages) (Publication ID: FS96)

Social Security and Hispanics: Some Facts  / Fact Sheet
September 2003— Social Security is particularly important to older Hispanics, more than 75 percent of whom receive benefits. This AARP Public Policy Institute Fact Sheet by Laurel Beedon and Ke Bin Wu provides data and discussion about Hispanic beneficiaries and the value of Social Security in providing protection for workers and their families should the worker become disabled, retire or die. (2 pages) (Publication ID: FS95)

Social Security and African Americans: Some Facts  / Fact Sheet
August 2003— Some maintain that, while African Americans bear a large portion of the cost of the Social Security program, they and their families will receive little in benefits should the workers become disabled, retire or die. In this AARP Public Policy Institute Fact Sheet, Laurel Beedon and Ke Bin Wu provide Current Population Survey data to inform the discussion about African American beneficiaries and the value of Social Security. (2 pages) (Publication ID: FS94)

The Social Security Benefit Formula  / Fact Sheet
August 2003— A worker’s Social Security benefits are generally based on his or her time and earnings in Social Security-covered employment and the age at which she or he leaves the labor force. Specifically, the initial benefit amount is reached through a two-step calculation. This AARP Public Policy Institute Fact Sheet by Laurel Beedon and Mitja Ng-Baumhackl describes the formula and illustrates the calculation using examples. (2 pages) (Publication ID: FS59R)

Improving Solvency Using the Social Security Benefit Formula  / Research Report
July 2003— How changing the rates and the dollar amounts (bend points) in the current law Social Security benefit calculation formula could affect various groups of beneficiaries and, ultimately, whether or how such changes would affect the goals of Social Security is examined in this AARP Public Policy Institute Issue Brief by Alison Shelton and Laurel Beedon. (15 pages, July 2003) (Publication ID: IB63)

Ten Facts to Remember About Social Security  / Research Report
October 2002— Social Security is much more than a retirement investment plan - it provides family insurance. In this AARP Public Policy Institute Data Digest, Laurel Beedon and Alison Shelton describe the program, its financing and beneficiaries, and discuss how it protects vulnerable groups. (4 pages) (Publication ID: DD79)

The Effect of Using Price Indexation Instead of Wage Indexation in Calculating the Initial Social Security Benefit  / Research Report
July 2002— While substituting price indexing for wage indexing in the calculation of workers' initial Social Security benefits would significantly reduce Social Security's long-term deficit, this Social Security reform option would also significantly reduce future benefits and fundamentally change the relationship between workers' contributions and the benefits they receive. An AARP Public Policy Institute Data Digest by Alison Shelton, Laurel Beedon and Mitja Ng-Baumhackl (9 pages) (Publication ID: DD72)

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)

Will Your Social Security Benefits Be Taxed?  / Fact Sheet
August 2001— Information about taxation of Social Security benefits and a worksheet to help beneficiaries estimate whether and how much they will be taxed. An AARP Public Policy Institute Fact Sheet by Laurel Beedon and Alison Shelton. (2 pages) (Publication ID: FS88)

The Social Security Earnings Limit and Work and Retirement Incentives  / Research Report
November 2000— How Social Security earnings limits - or the elimination thereof - might influence some workers to work more hours and others to work fewer is explored in this Data Digest by Alison Shelton of AARP's Public Policy Institute. (4 pages) (Publication ID: DD54)

Distributional Effects of the Social Security Earnings Limit  / Research Report
November 2000— Do earnings limits penalize low-income workers who need to continue working? To find out, Alison Shelton examined Current Population Survey data from 1996 to 1998 and reports the results this AARP Public Policy Institute Data Digest. (4 pages) (Publication ID: DD55)

The Social Security Earnings Limit and Incentives to Claim Social Security Benefits  / Research Report
November 2000— Would eliminating the current earnings limit result in more people claiming Social Security benefits before the normal retirement age? In this AARP Public Policy Institute Data Digest, Alison Shelton explores the possible consequences. (4 pages) (Publication ID: DD56)

Increasing the Age of Eligibility for Social Security and Medicare: Projected Impacts on Medicare and Social Security Disability Insurance from 2000-2040  / Research Report
September 2000— If the Medicare eligibility age is raised to 67 or 70, what would be the effect on the size of the Medicare and Social Security Disability Insurance populations? And what would be the level of savings? In this AARP Public Policy Institute Issue Paper, The Lewin Group uses a detailed methodological approach to making these projections. (85 pages) (Publication ID: 2000-15)

The Impact of Mandatory Social Security Coverage of State and Local Workers: A Multi-State Review  / Research Report
August 2000— Major arguments for and against requiring newly hired state and local government employees to be covered by Social Security are examined in this AARP Public Policy Institute Issue Paper by Alicia H. Munnell of Boston College (81 pages) (Publication ID: 2000-11)

Social Security: Some Basic Data  / Fact Sheet
April 2000— This updated AARP Public Policy Institute Fact Sheet by Laurel Beedon provides 1999 data on: who receives Social Security benefits--their gender, age, and beneficiary status; how much beneficiaries receive; how Social Security affects the incomes of people age 65 and older; who pays for Social Security, and how much. (2 pages) (Publication ID: FS78)

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)

Social Security COLAS and Medicare Part B Premium Increases  / Fact Sheet
November 1998— This AARP Public Policy Institute Fact Sheet by Laurel Beedon and David Gross discusses what determines both the COLA and the Part B premium and provides charted examples of how the COLA and the Part B premium would impact upon an average Social Security benefit in 1999. (2 pages) (Publication ID: FS73)

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: How do Minorities Fare Under Social Security? A Response to Two Heritage Foundation Reports  / Research Report
September 1998— This AARP Public Policy Institute Issue Brief by John Gist explores the issue of how fair the Social Security program is to minorities compared with whites in terms of the returns on their contributions. (10 pages) (Publication ID: IB34)

The Government Pension Offset (GPO)  / Fact Sheet
February 1998— This AARP Public Policy Institute Fact Sheet by Laurel Beedon provides information about the Government Pension Offset, a provision in Social Security law that can reduce or eliminate the Social Security benefit for spouses, divorced spouses and surviving spouses who also receive a pension based on their own work for a federal, state or local government not covered by Social Security. (2 pages) (Publication ID: FS63)

The Windfall Reduction  / Fact Sheet
February 1998— This AARP Public Policy Institute Fact Sheet by Laurel Beedon outlines the Social Security benefit formula, describes the windfall reduction, its impact on the formula and provides examples of individual workers and how the reduction changes their benefits. (2 pages) (Publication ID: FS64)

Social Security Reform: How Might Women Fare?  / Research Report
January 1998— This AARP Public Policy Institute Issue Brief by Sara Rix of PPI and John B. Williamson of Boston College examines the importance of Social Security to women now and into the 21st century, especially with respect to their continued economic vulnerability. It also addresses issues of benefit adequacy and equity for women and assesses how some of the more prominent proposed changes to the Social Security system might affect them. (20 pages) (Publication ID: IB31)

Press Center | Events | Policy & Research | NRTA | TV | Radio | States | AARP en Español

About AARP | Help | Contact AARP | Careers | Privacy Policy | Terms of Service | Advertise with AARP | Site Map

Copyright 1995–2008, AARP. All rights reserved.