Issue Briefs

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

 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 pages

After a slight drop during the recent recession, health savings accounts (HSAs) and health reimbursement arrangements (HRAs) are showing renewed growth, with the average account balance increasing over the past two years, according to new research by EBRI. EBRI Issue Brief Jan 29, 2013 32 pages

Why do some retiring workers with a pension choose to take a stream of lifetime income, while others cash out their entire benefit in a lump-sum distribution? Amidst growing concerns about workers outliving their retirement savings, this has emerged as a key issue—and it depends to a large extent on whether the individual pension plan allows or restricts lump-sum distributions (LSDs), according to new research by EBRI. EBRI Issue Brief Jan 17, 2013 20 pages

2012 Health Confidence Survey: What if Congress decides to start taxing workers’ health benefits as a means to raise revenue as part of an effort to rein in the federal deficit? More than half of American workers would either switch to a less costly plan, shop around, or drop coverage, according to new research from EBRI. Press release.

Employee Tenure: Americans who have jobs are staying in them longer as overall job tenure in the United States ticked up in 2012, but U.S. job tenure is still shorter than many assume. The median (mid-point) length of time on the job for American workers in 2012 is just 5.4 years, according to new research from EBRI. Press release.

EBRI Notes Dec 20, 2012 24 pages

401(k) savers continued to seek diversified portfolios in 2011, with 61 percent of 401(k) participants’ assets invested in equity securities and 34 percent in fixed-income securities, on average, according to the annual update of a joint study released today by the Employee Benefit Research Institute (EBRI) and the Investment Company Institute (ICI). EBRI Issue Brief Dec 20, 2012 56 pages

Adults in a consumer-driven health plan (CDHP) were more likely than those in a traditional plan to exhibit a number of cost-conscious behaviors, according to new research from EBRI. EBRI Issue Brief Dec 18, 2012 28 pages