Administrative data link

Explanations for the Decline in Spending at Older Ages

• August 2, 2022
• Susan Barnes
• Administrative data link, Consumption and Activities Mail Survey, Health and Retirement Study, retirement savings

We use new data from the 2019 wave of the Consumption and Activities Mail Survey to help interpret the observed decline in spending as individuals age. At one extreme, forward-looking individuals optimally chose the decline; at the other, myopic individuals…

Is the Adjustment of Social Security Benefits Actuarially Fair, and If So, for Whom?

• October 22, 2021
• Susan Barnes
• Administrative data link, benefit claiming, Disparities

Disparities in Social Security claim ages have risen since the early 1990s. With high earners increasingly likely to delay claiming, and also living longer on average than lower earners, late claimants may differ in critical ways from early claimants. Using…

Work and Retirement for Older Black and Hispanic Adults

• October 15, 2021
• Susan Barnes
• Administrative data link, Disparities, Health and Retirement Study, Retirement

Growing United States income inequality and the increasing aging of Black and Hispanic populations point to greater risks of financial insecurity for older populations in coming years. Research on retirement determinants for Blacks and Hispanics is limited. We propose to…

Tracking Changes in the Composition of Social Security Disability Insurance and Supplement Security Income Following the COVID-19 Pandemic

• October 15, 2021
• Susan Barnes
• Administrative data link, COVID-19, Disability, Disability insurance

The COVID-19 pandemic has dramatically altered Americans’ health and work in ways that may trigger significant changes in the size and composition of disability program participation. In this project, we use Social Security Administration data to study trends in beneficiary…

Consumer Credit Events Before and After Dementia Diagnosis

• July 21, 2021
• Susan Barnes
• Administrative data link, Cognition, Financial well-being, Fraud

Anecdotal evidence suggests that changes in thinking and memory due to dementia can lead to large financial losses.  We test this using linked Medicare claims and FRBNY/Equifax CCP data.  We find that missed payments increase up to 4 years prior…

2019 Key Findings

• May 26, 2021
• Susan Barnes
• Administrative data link, Disparities, Financial well-being, Interest Rates, International, Labor Supply, Long-term care, Medicaid, Medicare, Mortality trends, OASDI trust funds, Occupational Requirements Survey, pensions, Totalization

Data sets make MRDRC workshop debuts

• March 29, 2021
• Susan Barnes
• Administrative data link, Disability, Health and Retirement Study

The MRDRC presented its 2021 workshop virtually on March 11 and 12. Historically, the MRDRC has had an interest in data development, dating from its founding association with the then-new Health and Retirement Survey (HRS). This year’s workshop continued that…

Which Households Benefit from Delayed Claiming?

• December 16, 2020
• Susan Barnes
• Administrative data link, benefit claiming, OASDI trust funds

Using administrative data, this project will quantify the incentive effects and equity of the Social Security survivor benefit. The project will first analyze incentive effects on the timing of initial claiming of retired-worker benefits by both spouses. The survivor benefit…

2018 Key Findings

• July 15, 2019
• Susan Barnes
• Administrative data link, Affordable Care Act, Behavioral economics, benefit claiming, Cognition, Financial well-being, Health and Retirement Study, Health reform, International, Labor force participation, Labor Supply, Life-cycle model, Long-term care, Medicaid, Medicare, Mortality trends, OASDI trust funds, Older workers, Payroll taxes, pensions, Program interaction, retirement savings, Second career, Social Security, Social Security program communications, Social Security reform, Social Security spousal benefits, Supplemental Security Income, Totalization, Veterans

The Alignment of Household Preferences and Financial Decisions Leading up to Retirement

• November 29, 2018
• Susan Barnes
• Administrative data link, Family dynamics, retirement savings

This project will link survey and administrative data to investigate how within-couple differences in preferences and decision-making abilities affect household finances. We study whether misalignment of preferences or abilities influences choices and, thus, retirement readiness.