Retirement Security And Defined Contribution Plans

Retirement security and defined contribution plans: hearing before the Committee on Ways and Means, House of Representatives, One Hundred Seventh Congress, second session, February 26, 2002.

Retirement shouldn’t be just for the rich: “Finally, a practical plan to address Americans’ lack of adequate retirement savings.”—Michael Bloomberg Everyone deserves to be able to retire with dignity, but this core feature of the social contract is in jeopardy. Companies have swerved away from pensions, and most of the workforce has woefully inadequate retirement savings. If we don’t act to fix this broken system, rates of impoverishment for senior citizens threaten to skyrocket, and tens of millions of Americans reaching retirement age in the coming decades will be forced to delay retirement and will experience a dramatic drop in their standard of living. In Rescuing Retirement, economist Teresa Ghilarducci and billionaire businessman Tony James offer a comprehensive yet simple plan to help workers save for retirement, increase retirement savings by earning higher returns, and guarantee lifelong income for everyone. Built on people’s own money in individual Guaranteed Retirement Accounts, the plan requires no new taxes, no more bureaucracy, and no increase in the deficit. Speaking to Americans’ growing anxiety about their ability to retire, Rescuing Retirement provides answers to anyone wanting to understand the growing movement to protect a period of life once considered a deserved time of rest and creativity and offers a practical guide to the future of secure retirement. “Ghilarducci and James never slip into wonk-speak or jargon, and lay readers will appreciate the way the authors make sense of complex economic issues.”—Publishers Weekly

Table of Contents

Defined contribution (DC) plans, in which individuals save for their own retirement, have become the dominant form of retirement plan for U.S. workers. However, not all workers have access to or participate in such plans through their employer. DC plans also shift more risk to participants compared to traditional defined benefit (DB) pension plans. For example, a worker often needs to decide to participate in a DC plan, make regular contributions, and decide how to invest those savings before retirement. GAO was asked to review recent trends and future prospects for DC plan savings. This report focuses on 1) recent trends in DC plan participation and account savings, and 2) how much households could potentially save in DC plans over their careers, and how key individual and employer decisions affect plan saving. GAO analyzed household financial data from the Federal Reserve's triennial Survey of Consumer Finances (for 2004 through 2013, the most recent available). GAO also analyzed projected DC savings for a cohort of individuals born in 1997 using microsimulation models developed by the Policy Simulation Group. These simulation models allowed GAO to analyze the projected effect of certain decisions made by the employer and plan participant on DC savings at retirement. The selected simulations were informed by a review of the literature and interviews with retirement experts. GAO is making no recommendations in this report.

Pensions and retirement saving plans have helped millions of households build financial security. But tens of millions of people have been left behind, without access to these wealth accumulation vehicles. For many others, the plans they have do not ensure financial security in retirement. The problems that underlie these failures can be addressed. This book proposes concrete, practical ways to make dependable retirement income accessible for all Americans—not just those with means. Individual accounts have eclipsed traditional pensions as the primary vehicle for retirement saving in the United States—a shift that underlies many sources of retirement insecurity. The 401(k) plan and similar accounts have increased financial security for many people but have done nothing for millions more. Many of those who do have such plans are burdened with the need to make numerous saving, investment, and withdrawal decisions that stress their financial acumen. Financial advice that is unbiased, unconflicted, and affordable is often difficult to find. Managing wealth in retirement—especially the need to convert retirement savings into steady income—poses significant challenges that current financial instruments and practices do not adequately address. Economic downturns like the Great Recession and the COVID-19 pandemic increase financial insecurity and make addressing these issues more urgent. Written by noted experts in the field, Wealth After Work offers practical solutions that address these concerns. The proposals show how policymakers can help all Americans gain access to retirement savings accounts, obtain better information about their savings choices, and better manage their wealth in retirement. By proposing solutions that build on, rather than replace the existing system, the book provides a nuanced, practical guide to reform that would benefit all Americans.

Praise For The Retirement Plan Solution "Short, clear, complete, and always interesting. Best book on DC plans and what we should do-now." —Charles D. Ellis, author, Winning the Loser's Game "At a time when the world is in turmoil, along with retirement expectations, the authors have hit a home run. After reading this book, I have a plan. Read it for your path to retirement security." —Dallas Salisbury, President and CEO, Employee Benefit Research Institute "The Retirement Plan Solution offers a refreshing and provocative perspective on how to assess retirement needs, save to meet these needs, and manage the retirement payout process. In this time of financial turmoil, employees, plan sponsors, and financial advisors will find this highly practical resource volume both useful and humorous." —Olivia S. Mitchell, Director, Pension Research Council, Wharton School "The Retirement Plan Solution is a map to the future of 401(k) retirement plans. But it is not just a theoretical view of what could be. Instead, the authors describe the needs and trends that are already here, and then describe the changes that are developing to meet those needs. It is about the tomorrow that is happening today." —Fred Reish, Managing Director, Reish Luftman Reicher & Cohen "The respected authors have created a readable, timely, and very helpful book on all aspects of retirement planning. The suggestions are practical, the information is concise, and the book is highly recommended for anyone that is interested in sound financial planning." —Moshe A. Milevsky, PhD, Finance Professor, York University, Toronto, Canada "This is a must-read for people working in the retirement industry, as well as those who simply care about how to improve their chance of reaching a financially secure retirement. In a clear and simple fashion, the authors deliver one of the best books to date on inefficiencies in the current DC plan and potential improvements." —Peng Chen, President, Ibbotson Associates