Issue Briefs

Low-yields and Retirement: As many retirees and workers have discovered, today’s historically low interest rates are crimping their retirement savings. Now a new study by EBRI quantifies the impact of a sustained low-interest rate environment on America’s retirement readiness.

Health Access: Whether it’s a “consumer-driven,” high-deductible, or traditional managed-care health plan, a significant number of people with health insurance report problems with access to health care services, according to new research by EBRI.

EBRI Notes Jun 25, 2013 24 pages

Where does the money come go in individual retirement accounts (IRAs)? Most of the new contributions go into Roth IRAs, but most of the assets are held in traditional IRAs, where the money originated from a rollover from other tax-qualified retirement plans (such as 401(k) plans) and not from new contributions, according to new research by EBRI. Press release. EBRI Issue Brief May 23, 2013 28 pages

Part-time Workers: Whether or not the federal health insurance reform law causes employers to hire part-time workers, the trend away from full-time employment is already underway, according to new research from EBRI. Press release.

IRA Withdrawals: Those Americans between ages 61 and 70, who are withdrawing money from their individual retirement accounts (IRA), are making withdrawals that are larger, both in absolute dollar amounts and as a percentage of their IRA account balance, than those taken by older households, according to a new report from EBRI. Press release.

EBRI Notes May 22, 2013 20 pages

Those Americans between ages 61 and 70, who are withdrawing money from their individual retirement accounts (IRA), are making withdrawals that are larger, both in absolute dollar amounts and as a percentage of their IRA account balance, than those taken by older households, according to a new report from EBRI. Press release. EBRI Notes May 15, 2013 10 pages

Consumer-driven Health Plans: It is often assumed that consumer-driven health plan enrollees are more likely than those with traditional coverage to be young, because they use less health care, on average. However, that is generally not the case in recent years, according to new research by EBRI. Press release.

Multiple Retirement Plans: People who own more than one type of retirement plan are more likely to invest a higher percentage in equities (stocks) than those who don’t, according to new research by EBRI. Press release.

EBRI Notes Apr 25, 2013 20 pages

When Congress added a mandate to the federal health insurance reform law requiring group health plans to offer coverage to workers’ children up to age 26, little was known about how the provision would be used. New research by EBRI finds the mandate was more likely to be used to treat adult children with depression, substance abuse, and pregnancy. EBRI Issue Brief Apr 11, 2013 16 pages

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 pages

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: 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 pages

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