Social Security program communications

Mixed-methods Analysis of Consumer Fraud Reports of the Social Security Imposter Scam

• December 16, 2020
• Susan Barnes
• Fraud, Social Security, Social Security program communications

Despite the growing prevalence of Social Security imposter scams, there has been no academic research on this subtype of fraud. One problem is that general sample surveys do not ask respondents about the individual subtypes of government imposter scams they…

Mixed-methods Study to Understand Use of My Social Security

• December 16, 2020
• Susan Barnes
• MySSA, Social Security program communications

My Social Security (mySSA) is a key online resource offered by the Social Security Administration, providing users with a single access point to all SSA electronic services. While ostensibly an accessible and useful tool that can save users a significant…

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

Social Security Household Benefits: Measuring Program Knowledge

• December 10, 2018
• Susan Barnes
• Social Security program communications, Social Security spousal benefits

Using Consequence Messaging to Improve Understanding of Social Security

• December 10, 2018
• Susan Barnes
• Behavioral economics, Social Security program communications

Subjective Expectations, Social Security Benefits, and Saving for Retirement

• November 29, 2018
• Susan Barnes
• Behavioral economics, retirement savings, Social Security program communications

Americans reach retirement with varying degrees of preparation, with many facing shortfalls in savings. We propose to use unique survey data collected among respondents to the Understanding America Study to measure the relative roles of subjective beliefs about retirement income — particularly…

Social Security Household Benefits: Measuring Program Knowledge

• November 28, 2018
• Susan Barnes
• Social Security program communications, Social Security spousal benefits

Social Security offers two types of benefits for spouses: spousal and survivor benefits. Regardless of his or her own work history, a married individual can claim spousal Social Security benefits, which are equal to half of his or her spouse’s…

Using Consequence Messaging to Improve Understanding of Social Security

• November 28, 2018
• Susan Barnes
• Behavioral economics, Social Security program communications

In this paper, we developed and evaluated “consequence messaging,” a behaviorally motivated communication strategy in which we used vignettes — video and written stories about hypothetical people — to explain the consequences of decisions. We studied two related areas where…

The Reintroduction of the Social Security Statement and its Effect on Social Security Expectations, Retirement Savings, and Labor Supply across the Age Distribution

• June 14, 2018
• Financial well-being, Labor force participation, retirement savings, Social Security, Social Security program communications

The Reintroduction of the Social Security Statement and its Effect on Social Security Expectations, Retirement Savings, and Labor Supply across the Age Distribution

• June 14, 2018
• Financial well-being, Labor force participation, retirement savings, Social Security, Social Security program communications

This paper examines how the 2014 reintroduction of the Social Security statement, staggered by every fifth birth year, affected American Life Panel respondents’ Social Security expectations, savings behavior, and labor supply. The rich panel design of the ALP allows for…