Alicia Munnell, SmartMoney Blogs
Social Security: Should Those Over 55 Be Protected?
There’s a good argument for temporarily suspending cost-of-living increases to Social Security, Munnell writes.
Entitlement Reform: What Does It Mean?
Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid are not providing greedy people with special privileges, writes Munnell.
Encouraging Use of Advanced Life Deferred Annuities
Advanced Life Deferred Annuities have several big advantages over traditional annuities, Munnell writes.
Interest in Advanced Life Deferred Annuities?
Advanced life deferred annuities guarantee an income stream in retirement, but have some disadvantages, Munnell writes.
What About Annuities?
Annuities should probably be more popular, given baby boomers’ lackluster 401(k) balances, Munnell writes.
They’re Not Moochers and It’s Not Welfare
Social insurance should not be mistaken for welfare, Munnell writes.
Hard Times for Social Security Lovers
This is a hard time for someone who thinks that Social Security is one of the nation’s most important programs. Republicans and Democrats, who can’t agree on anything, recently agreed that the payroll tax cut should be extended. And the President put out another budget without any proposals to restore long-run solvency to the program. I know it’s an election year, but last year wasn’t and the President proposed nothing for Social Security then either. Undermining the revenue flow and failing to offer fixes for the financing hole puts the program at risk.
The Rich Can’t Do it Alone
The nation’s deficit troubles cannot be resolved strictly by raising taxes on the wealthy, Munnell writes.
Impact of Reducing 401(k) Tax Expenditures
Changes to tax expenditures could alter the appeal of 401(k) plans to employees, Munnell writes.
How Bush Tax Cuts Reduce 401(k) Advantages
The tax benefits of 401(k)s have been diminished by lower tax rates on dividends and capital gains, Munnell writes.
How to Calculate 401(k) Tax Expenditures
Breaking down the lifetime tax savings of 401(k) savers.
How Much Do 401(k)s Cost the Treasury?
A look at the impact of tax-deferred retirement savings on the Federal government’s bottom line.
What’s the Tax Advantage of 401(k)s?
The tax advantages of 401(k)s and Roth 401(k)s do not differ in the long run, for most savers, Munnell writes.
Do We Really Spend A Lot of Money on Poor People?
Alicia Munnell: The notion that we spend way too much money on poor people doesn’t ring true. Here’s why.
Defined Benefit Plans with Risk Sharing Can Survive
Could a hybrid pension arrangements could offer enough risk sharing to be attractive to both the employer and the employee?
Private Sector Defined Benefit Plans Vanishing
The shift from private sector defined benefit plans to 401(k)s, which began in 1981, has rapidly accelerated, writes Munnell.
4 Reasons Boomers Need Bigger Nest Eggs than Their Parents
Boomers may be saving at roughly the same rate of their parents, but that’s no longer nearly enough, Munnell writes.
Too Scared of Stocks
The Social Security system would benefit from shifting more investments from bonds to equities, Alicia Munnell writes.
Has the Economic Well-Being of the Elderly Really Improved?
The wealth gap between the old and the young may be greatly overstated.
How Much Do You Have To Save for Retirement?
Saving from an early age and working longer both reduce the amount that needs to be set aside for retirement.
