Retirement

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

• April 13, 2022
• Susan Barnes
• benefit claiming, Mortality trends, Older workers, Retirement, Social Security

The Impacts of the Social Security Statement on Peoples’ Knowledge and Behavioral Intentions

• February 16, 2022
• Susan Barnes
• MySSA, Retirement, Social Security program communications

Social Security information can be complex but crucial for financial planning. The redesigned Social Security statement aims to better inform the public. We plan to assess the impact of the redesign on people’s understanding of Social Security, their interest in…

The Relationship Between Adverse Experiences Over the Life Course and Early Retirement Due to Disability

• February 8, 2022
• Susan Barnes
• Disability, Disparities, Health and Retirement Study, Retirement

A growing body of research implicates life span adversity in later-life outcomes. We use data from the Life History Mail Survey (LHMS) with data from the Health and Retirement Study (HRS) core surveys to examine the relationship between adverse experiences…

Heterogeneity in Household Spending and Well-being Around Retirement

• December 21, 2021
• Susan Barnes
• Retirement, retirement savings

We study heterogeneity in spending patterns around the time of retirement. Using rich consumption data from the Panel Study of Income Dynamics, and exploiting within-household spending variation, we systematically classify households into groups characterized by differences in consumption transitions at…

The Early Impacts of the Coronavirus Pandemic on Americans’ Economic Security

• December 21, 2021
• Susan Barnes
• COVID-19, Financial well-being, Retirement, retirement savings

The COVID-19 pandemic has had enormous effects on the U.S. economy and may have had serious negative repercussions for many Americans’ financial stability. We use longitudinal survey data from a nationally representative internet panel, the Understanding America Study, to examine…

Understanding Racial Disparities in Financial Preparedness for Retirement

• October 15, 2021
• Susan Barnes
• Disparities, Financial well-being, Retirement, retirement savings

To understand racial disparities in retirement age and financial preparedness, we construct a model of labor supply, retirement, and savings over the life cycle where all parameters, including preferences for time and risk and the stochastic processes of marriage, fertility,…

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…

Underfunded Public Sector Pension Plans, Social Security Participation, and the Retirement Decisions of Public Employees

• August 12, 2021
• Susan Barnes
• benefit claiming, OASDI trust funds, pensions, Retirement

I analyze the effects of public pension parameters, Social Security coverage, and state pension fund sustainability on the retirement of public employees. I use data from the Health and Retirement Study, including personal early and normal retirement eligibility and state…

Public Pension Design and Household Retirement Decisions: A Comparison of the United States and Germany

• June 17, 2021
• Susan Barnes
• benefit claiming, Financial well-being, International, Retirement, Social Security, Social Security spousal benefits

Public Pension Design and Household Retirement Decisions: A Comparison of the United States and Germany

• May 28, 2021
• Susan Barnes
• benefit claiming, International, Labor Supply, OASDI trust funds, Older workers, pensions, Retirement

Social Security provides retirement benefits to age-eligible workers and their spouses. Benefits are permanently increased if initial receipt is delayed. For benefits paid to spouses, these incentives reflect a complex interaction of the worker’s and spouse’s earnings histories, benefit claiming…