Changes in Wealth for Americans Reaching or Just Past Normal Retirement Age

This Issue Brief provides a first step in determining how retirees now starting to retire those first to be affected by the shift to lump-sum payments and 401(k) asset accumulation.are managing their wealth. Americans born from 1931 1941 are the focus of this study, since these Americans ranged in age from 51 61 in 1992 (at the beginning of the study period) and had reached age 61 71 by 2002 (the end of the study period). These Americans have been affected by fundamental changes in the employment-based retirement plan market, as fewer people are covered by defined benefit pension plans and more people are covered by defined contribution plans, principally the 401(k) plan. This shift has led to tremendous growth in IRA assets, as workers used these tax-favored savings vehicles to roll over their defined contribution and/or defined benefit assets upon job change or retirement.

Retirement Wealth/Retirement Policies

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