Fund, IBM, Hewitt, Pfizer, and Procter & Gamble. The Health Confidence Survey and the Retirement President’s Report —Dallas L. Salisbury Confidence Survey continue to be heavily used each year, and we have more underwriters for the 2007 surveys than in any prior year. December 2006 Our new report on the implications of Social Security reform for employers, with funding from the Ford EBRI President’s Report Foundation, is nearing completion. It will prove timely as the President and the new Congress suggest that they may try to work together on a bipartisan solution in 2007. Our September book on The Future 2006 Annual Report of Retirement Programs, undertaken with funding from the HR Policy Association, offers an excellent planning aid as employers and policymakers continue to consider plan redesigns. EBRI was ranked as one of the 25 most cited think tanks in the nation in 2006, with more media use of our work than was achieved by others many times our size. Policymakers, academics, and our members Savings, retirement, and health issues will become increasingly dominant in the lives of individuals, joined the media in commending our groundbreaking work in 2006 on developments in consumerism in employers, and public policymakers. As the baby-boom generation rolls toward age 65, the proportion health care, savings levels needed for health care in retirement, asset and income improvements that could of the national population over 65 increases from about 13 percent to 20 percent, and required reviews of arise from design changes in defined contribution plans, the value of annuitization in reaching a high Social Security and Medicare are undertaken to allow the programs to continue, health and retirement probability of not running out of money during retirement, and the implications of conversions from issues will move to the center of policy debates and the 2008 presidential election. EBRI is uniquely traditional defined benefit plans for required savings rates. Numerous other publications and surveys positioned to help all constituencies understand the implications of plans and strategies. We can expect a gained use as well, and traffic to our Web site has never been greater. growing number of commissions and caucuses and single-firm-sponsored institutes to focus on these issues, and we look forward to working with all of them. EBRI has 28 years of research; many years of EBRI provided briefings and information throughout 2006 to those involved in development of the health, retirement, and value-of-benefit surveys; health coverage and defined contribution plan databases; Pension Protection Act, building from our central role in organizing a GAO seminar on pension reform in and a skilled team that will be invaluable to all of these efforts. 2005. Our joint conference with AARP in May, and our work with Frontline on their program, “Will You Be Able to Afford to Retire?”, which aired May 16 and November 7, helped to assure balance and the use The 2006 Consumerism in Health Care Survey was released on Dec. 7 and was the subject of our policy of facts. We worked every day to present “just the facts,” and without EBRI’s ongoing work, thousands forum. The survey found that about 1.3 million adults ages 21–64 are in plans with a health of media efforts each year would certainly be less complete and less accurate. Again in 2006, we were on reimbursement arrangement (HRA) or a health savings account (HSA); another 2.6 million are in a plan all the major networks and cable station news programs, a number of special-purpose programs, and local that is eligible for an HSA but have not opened such an account. In addition, the plans cover many family radio and television venues around the nation. Paul Fronstin, Jack VanDerhei, and Craig Copeland have members. The Health Confidence Survey found earlier in the year that many workers do not have become relied-upon sources of data and insights on the full range of health, pension, savings, and human sufficient money to contribute to health accounts, and increasing health costs are also causing large resources strategy questions for the nation’s media and policymakers. numbers to reduce their contributions to 401(k) plans and to go further into debt. EBRI continued to meet its objective of providing public education this year with the Choose to Save® The Founders’ vision of EBRI as a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization designed to contribute to, to public service announcements and the www.choosetosave.org Internet presence. Recognition of the high ® encourage, and to enhance the development of sound employee benefit programs and sound public policy quality of these programs was underlined by receipt of new Emmy awards. The savings programs begin through objective research and education has been embraced by all of our Members. The support and their twelfth year in 2007, having changed the lives of millions of individuals. A new one-half hour ® input of EBRI Members and grantors make our work possible. Choose to Save television education program has just been completed—“Mission Retirement”—with the help of Hedrick Smith Productions and AARP. This program will be distributed nationally in 2007 and During 2006, our dedication to “just the facts” and “telling it like it is” mainly drew praise, but some of provides an outstanding free financial training tape for our members and the public (a DVD is available). our work has been criticized. Generally, the same reports are the object, and those on both sides of an issue frequently express unhappiness. Hopefully that suggests we are successfully walking the fine line EBRI ended 2006 with good financial results and excellent prospects for 2007. With broad-based of balance, but we always welcome your comments on our work and suggestions for the future. The support, we were able to invest $5 million in research and education in 2006, and this will increase in bylaws require that we not take positions on any issue; we are to inform with the facts. We expect to be 2007. EBRI revenue will be just over $3 million, with equal expense, while ERF revenue was just under held to that standard, and hope you will let us know if we ever slip. $2 million, with equal expense. We continue to maintain reserves equal to two years’ operating expenses in order to assure stability for our outstanding team. We enter 2007 with our membership at a high level, I thank you for your support and participation as we open the door on 2007. EBRI is needed now more including a record number of Sustaining Members providing essential funding and insight as members of than ever, as is your involvement. Visit us often at www.ebri.org and www.choosetosave.org . the Board of Trustees. EBRI has continued to expand its work in aiding human resources strategic planning. Over the year, this effort has included special studies, data runs, and planning discussions that have then been folded into distributions to all our sponsors. The Second EBRI/Commonwealth Fund Consumerism in Health Dallas L. Salisbury Care Survey, was released as the December EBRI Issue Brief, and provides a benchmark on the nation’s success in using IT, medical evidence, and quality measures to improve coverage, individuals’ President and CEO satisfaction, and quality. Funding for the survey and policy forum was provided by The Commonwealth EBRI President Report December 15, 2006