Issue Briefs

The average account balance among American workers who consistently held 401(k) accounts from 1999 through 2005 increased 50 percent despite one of the worst bear markets since the Great Depression. Among this group, the average account balance increased 10 percent in 2005, according to a study released by the nonpartisan Employee Benefit Research Institute (EBRI) and the Investment Company Institute (ICI). EBRI Issue Brief Aug 24, 2006 20 pages

Two articles by EBRI look at the status of the retirement systems in the United Kingdom, where the government has proposed major changes, and in China, where the pension plan is “grossly underfunded.” Press release EBRI Notes Aug 1, 2006 12 pages

The nonpartisan Employee Benefit Research Institute (EBRI), in conjunction with AARP, co-sponsored a day-long conference on the future of the U.S. employment-based pension system. This article summarizes the main points raised at the conference: Several conference speakers predicted that the evolution currently under way in the system will lead to radical change and the ultimate demise of private-sector defined benefit pensions, the article reports. Press release EBRI Notes Jul 25, 2006 12 pages

A couple age 65 retiring today and living to average life expectancy would need $295,000 to cover premiums for health insurance and out-of-pocket expenses during retirement, according to a new study& by the nonpartisan Employee Benefit Research Institute (EBRI). EBRI Issue Brief Jul 20, 2006 32 pages

This Issue Brief examines changes that policymakers are discussing, explores the history of tax laws concerning the tax treatment of health benefits and the cost to the federal government in forgone taxes because of these laws, and examines some the advantages and disadvantages that could result from the proposed changes. EBRI Issue Brief Jun 15, 2006 32 pages

This article builds upon a previous EBRI Notes study (April 2006) by determining the change in the distribution of the benefit levels beneficiaries would receive under various Social Security reform proposals. Press release EBRI Notes Jun 13, 2006 12 pages

This Issue Brief examines the incidence of individual account plans among families, as well as the average amount of assets accumulated in these accounts, using the most recent data from the Federal Reserve’s Survey of Consumer Finances (SCF). EBRI Issue Brief May 4, 2006 32 pages

Hours of Work: An increasing share of the U.S. labor force is employed part-time, and this trend will likely lead to fewer workers with employment-based health benefits. Facts from EBRI: This article presents data from a variety of sources about private-sector health benefits, such as offer rates, take-up rates, and prevalent types of health plans. Press release EBRI Notes May 2, 2006 8 pages

Social Security: The article examines changes in the distribution of Old-Age and Survivors Insurance benefits (the primary Social Security program) under five reform options, and notes that any changes in Social Security could have a dramatic effect on the percentage of elderly living below the poverty level. Tax Expenditures and Employee Benefits: In his budget, the president is required to provide a list of “tax expenditures”—federal tax revenue foregone due to preferential provisions. This includes both tax-deferred programs (in which tax revenue ultimately will be collected) and tax-exempt programs (in which no revenue will ever be collected). Press release. EBRI Notes Apr 11, 2006 12 pages

This Issue Brief reports findings from the 16th annual Retirement Confidence Survey (RCS), which suggests that many American workers are not ready to undertake the task of financial planning for their own retirement and face the prospect of having to work far longer than they expect. EBRI Issue Brief Apr 4, 2006 28 pages