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“A Little Help: The Impact of On-line Calculators and Financial Advisors on Setting Adequate Retirement-Savings Targets: Evidence from the 2013 Retirement Confidence Survey,” and “'Post' Script: What’s Next for Employment-Based Health Benefits?”
Retirement-Savings Targets: The use of online calculators and retirement advisors has been linked to higher levels of retirement confidence – and with justification, according to new research from EBRI.
Health Benefits: With key provisions of the federal health care reform law scheduled to take effect in the near future, what’s in store for the existing system of employment-based health benefits? That was the focus of the 71st policy forum sponsored by EBRI, which brought in some of the nation’s top health experts, including Assistant Secretary of Labor Phyllis Borzi. Employment-based health benefits remain the most common form of health coverage in the United States.
EBRI Notes Mar 31, 2013 28 pagesEBRI’s 2013 Retirement Confidence Survey: Perceived Savings Needs Outpace Reality for Many
Americans’ confidence in their ability to afford a comfortable retirement remains low—which may reflect a growing awareness of the savings realities ahead, according to the 23rd annual Retirement Confidence Survey (RCS), the longest-running survey of its kind. EBRI Issue Brief Mar 19, 2013 36 pages
“Debt of the Elderly and Near Elderly, 1992–2010,” and “Employer and Worker Contributions to Health Reimbursement Arrangements and Health Savings Accounts, 2006–2012”
Debt of the Elderly: American families headed by individuals age 75 or older had increases in the incidence of debt, the average amount of debt held, and the percentage with debt payments greater than 40 percent of their income in 2010, according to new research by EBRI. The driver of debt for families with a head age 55 or older was housing debt. Press release.
HRA/HSA Contributions: A growing share of both employers and individual participants are contributing to their health reimbursement arrangements (HRAs) and health savings accounts (HSAs), according to a new report from EBRI. Press release.
EBRI Notes Feb 21, 2013 28 pagesIncome Composition, Income Trends, and Income Shortfalls of Older Households
About 60 percent of elderly American households spend less than their incomes, but in 2009 more than 14 percent of older households spent considerably more than their income, according to a new report by EBRI. Singles, households with no pensions, African-Americans and Hispanics have larger shares of households with deficits. Health care and home related expenses are the biggest drivers of income deficit. EBRI Issue Brief Feb 19, 2013 20 pages
"Views on Health Coverage and Retirement: Findings from the 2012 Health Confidence Survey,®" and "Tax Preferences and Mandates: Is the Danish Savings Experience Applicable to the United States?"
Views on Health Coverage and Retirement: More than half of all workers say they intend to work longer than they would like in order to keep their health insurance at work, according to new research by EBRI. But less than 1 in 5 retirees say they were able to work longer to continue receiving health insurance through their jobs. Press release.
Tax Preferences and Mandates: A recent study found that tax incentives for retirement savings in Denmark had virtually no impact on increasing total savings But are those findings relevant to the United States? Maybe not, according to a new report by EBRI. Press release.
EBRI Notes Jan 31, 2013 16 pagesT-174: Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions, hearing on "Pension Savings: Are Workers Saving Enough for Retirement?"
EBRI Testimony Jan 31, 2013 9 pages